Doublespeak
June 13, 2025 – August 16, 2025
Western Exhibitions, 1709 W Chicago Ave suite 2c, Chicago, IL 60622, USA
from the website: This is a solo show for Nanako Kono with paintings, drawings, prints, comics and collages that investigate miscommunication. She is inspired by the comic strip, employing intrinsic elements of that format — panels, speech balloons, animated objects, recurring characters, text — in her humorous paintings. Her process of learning English as a second language sparked an interest in translations and semiotics, leading to the realization that the signs, symbols, and words we choose often fail to convey intended meanings to others. Taking visual and material cues from the Chicago Imagist tradition, Kono’s work explores a playful new way of communication. The show opens on Friday, June 13 with a public reception from 5 to 8pm and runs through August 16. Gallery hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 11am to 6pm.