Russo Lee Gallery is pleased to present Magnificent Malaise by invited artist Dirk Staschke. For the past eighteen years, Staschke’s practice has explored the space between painting and sculpture, producing works that include sculptures of paintings, vases, and ceramic paintings. Best known for his shadowbox sculptures that juxtapose virtuosic illusion with visibly rough construction, his earlier works function as observations on control and perception. This exhibition marks a shift toward a more formal investigation of beauty and a reflection of the artist’s own worldview. Drawing on the tradition of Vanitas still life painting—with its symbolism of transience, futility, and mortality—the current work seeks to transform this grim legacy into something more positive. Staschke describes his process as a construction of smaller pieces that form a larger whole. Lush ceramic surfaces soften foreboding forms, employing a transgressive beauty that finds elegance within the seemingly disturbing.
Dirk Staschke is an artist living in Portland, Oregon. He received his BFA from the University of Montevallo and his MFA from Alfred University. He has maintained an ongoing studio practice and extensive exhibition record for the last twenty-six years. During this time, he has taught at many notable universities, including Emily Carr University, Alfred University, and New York University. His work has been shown internationally and resides in the permanent collections of numerous museums including the Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian Museum in Washington (DC), The Museum of Art and Design in New York City, The Portland Art Museum (OR), and the Icheon World Ceramic Center in Icheon-si, South Korea. He has received various artist’s grants including those from The Virginia Groot Foundation and the Canada Council on the Arts.