Exhibitions

EXTENDED MATERIALITY (FEAT. MIE KONGO & ALTHEA MURPHY-PRICE)

Tri-Star Arts / 4450 Candora Ave., Candoro Marble Building April 5 - June 1st

Mie Kongo, Althea Murphy-Price

Tri-Star Arts is pleased to present the next exhibition in their Main Gallery at the historic Candoro Marble Building. A two-person show, Extended Materiality, featuring recent works by artists Mie Kongo (Evanston, IL) and Althea Murphy-Price (Knoxville, TN) opens Friday, April 5 and will run through Saturday, June 1, 2024. Curator: Brian R. Jobe.

An opening reception will be held on Friday, April 5, 2024 from 5:00—8:00 pm. There will be an artist talk by Mie Kongo beforehand at 3:30pm. The address is 4450 Candora Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37920 and admission is always free of charge.

Curator Brian R. Jobe states, “In Extended Materiality, my goal is to bring the viewer’s focus upon the changing scope of today’s materials and their use within assemblage by presenting the multimedia works of Mie Kongo and Althea Murphy-Price together. Both artists collage 3D printed objects using a wide range of methodologies. Murphy-Price incorporates these objects in the presentation of her photographed subjects as well as through sculptural installations. Kongo creates sculptural assemblages which combine printed objects, handmade porcelain, and found items. Viewers will discover intriguing connections as these works live together in context during this exhibition.”


Mie Kongo grew up on the outskirts of Tokyo, Japan, and now lives and works in Evanston, IL. She creates multidisciplinary works that have been exhibited nationally and internationally. This includes two solo exhibitions at 65Grand in Chicago, IL, a recent two-person Exposure booth represented by 65Grand at EXPO Chicago, and participation in NADA Miami represented by The Landing Gallery in Los Angeles, CA. Her other selected solo and group exhibitions were held at Harper College in Palatine, IL; Charlotte Street Foundation in Kansas City, MO; Audible Gallery at Experimental Sound Studio in Chicago, IL; Devening Projects + Editions in Chicago, IL; Arts and Literature Laboratory in Madison, WI; and 4th Ward Project Space in Chicago, IL. She completed residencies at Shigaraki Ceramics Cultural Park in Shiga, Japan, and the European Keramic Work Center in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, Netherlands. Mie Kongo received a BFA from the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and an MFA in Ceramics from Cranbrook Academy of Art. Currently, she serves as an Associate Professor, Adjunct, in the Ceramics Department at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and is a recipient of the Joan Mitchell Fellowship in 2021.

Althea Murphy-Price began her studies in Fine Art at Spelman College before receiving her Master of Arts in Printmaking and Painting from Purdue University, and later studying at the Tyler School of Art, Temple University where she earned her Master of Fine Arts. Murphy-Price maintains an active exhibiting practice. She has exhibited in venues throughout the country and abroad such as the Weston Gallery, Cincinnati, OH; Howard Museum of Art, Baltimore, MD; Wellesley College, Boston, MA; Wade Wilson Art Gallery, Houston, TX; Indiana University Art Museum; The Print Center, Philadelphia, PA; The Halsey Institute of Contemporary Art, Charleston, SC; and the Knoxville Museum of Art, Knoxville, TN. International exhibits include the International Printmaking Exhibition, Jingdezhen China; the American Youth Printmaking Exhibition, Lui Haisu Art Museum, Shanghai, China; and Print Resonance, Musashino Art University, Tokyo, Japan. In addition to her exhibition record, she has been an artist-in-residence at the Frank Lloyd Wright School; University of Hawaii, Hilo; the Vermont Studio Center; and the Venice Printmaking Studio. Her writings and work have been featured in such publications as Art Papers Magazine, CAA Reviews, Contemporary Impressions Journal, Art in Print, Printmaking: A Complete Guide to Materials and Process, and Printmakers Today.