Artists & Galleries

Many cite Atlanta’s Jon Eric Riis as the nation’s leading contemporary tapestry artist, known for weaving richly embellished textiles so masterfully executed that their loveliness nearly obscures their powerful satire.

The Atlanta-based artist on what influences and inspires him, his most challenging project, and the high points of his career

Forget paintbrushes. Artist Erica Doggett-Alphin, who goes by Erica Elle, wields a blowtorch to create her kaleidoscopic paintings. “I’m a scientist in a lab,” says the Memphis native. “I started playing around with resin and alcohol-based paints, and when I mixed in fire, it made a flame. When the flames went down, I noticed that it created really cool textures.”

“Photography is the medium of our time,” Dawkins says. “It reflects how I see the world. When I blink my eyes, it’s almost like a photograph. It’s approachable and understandable.”

Singer/songwriter Jared Foster landed in Atlanta in 2014 while collaborating with Christian hip-hop artist Lecrae on his Grammy-nominated song, “All I Need Is You.” Carpentry was just a side gig he picked up to support himself while he launched his solo act—something he’d tinkered with as a child with his stepfather.

Jewelry artist Judie Raiford’s multidisciplinary gallery has been a Roswell institution since 1996. She talked with us about how she began making jewelry and whether the DIY movement has helped or hurt galleries.

Lillian Blades’s colorful creations have a way of making you feel like you’re under the sea, rolling in the grass, and viewing a desert sunset all at once.

Every morning, Anita Darling walks barefoot to her backyard greenhouse in Suwanee. She stands still, feeling the dew under her feet, sips her coffee, and prays—in order to align herself with God and nature before starting to draw.

Expect smoke and mirrors at Made Goods’s new showroom—that is, smoky hues and the brand’s hallmark statement mirrors. Open now in a 5,000-square-foot space at ADAC, the Los Angeles-based shop features home collections that put a perfect twist on classic pieces using rare materials, unusual proportions, and artsy details.

In a 1957 Time magazine article, the iconic German architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe famously said of furniture made by architects: “A chair is a very difficult object. A skyscraper is almost easier. That is why Chippendale is famous.” That’s why, when Atlanta architect Jonathon Quinn decided to become a furniture maker, he started with a chair.