Miller Gallery is excited to announce its upcoming exhibition, featuring Punk Me Tender and Stephen Wilson. Both artists, incredibly unique in process, are a new addition to Miller Gallery's anthology. Vibrant and bright in composition, these dueling solo shows carry mutual themes, highlighting the intersection of popular culture and fashion.

The exhibition will run from May 17th through June 16th. An opening reception will be held at Miller Gallery on May 17th, from 6pm-8pm. Stephen will be in attendance to speak about his work.

Punk Me Tender: Anonymous French artist Punk Me Tender is known for his very graphic, raw form of art. Offering a new perspective on the female body, Punk Me Tender's works heavily celebrate desire, and he is very much inspired by women, fashion, and style. The artist believes that desire is the single biggest driver in everyone's soul. Much of his photography has themes of sensuality and wanting.

His dramatic murals show women in varied color schemes. His mixed media pieces utilize black and white photography, bright splashes of pinks and blues, and incorporate real pieces of clothing. The artist maintains that a mix of graffiti and fabric is an original approach that never fails to intrigue and captivate the viewer. Rather than plot out an artistic strategy, the artist acts purely on instinct, and prefers to make his own rules.

His identity is kept secret in order to maintain freedom and express himself as he desires. When interviewed, he uses a surrogate, such as a model, to speak for him.

Punk Me Tender is currently based out of Los Angeles, CA.

Stephen Wilson: While maintaining a uniquely Americana aesthetic, Stephen's internationally renowned work blends a high fashion influence with traditional quilting and mixed media. He is influenced by contemporary art, pop art, street art, graffiti and iconography, as well as traditional quilting and handicrafts. Collected by art enthusiasts worldwide, his pieces have also been featured in both solo and group exhibitions, as well as museum shows.

For Stephen, the medium is the message. There is a long list of artists that create art using traditional means. However, Stephen's methodology is anything but traditional. Represented in his Luxury Series, the medium used is predominantly fabric and thread, combined with sculptural 3D printing, laser engraving, and painting. Heavily influenced by famous fashion houses, Stephen utilizes luxury textiles from a myriad of famed design houses, including Hermès silks and Chanel wools, amongst others. When one examines his pieces closely, they will notice that every line he creates uses thread to embellish or transform these luxurious fabrics. Stephen's works are meant to evoke questions regarding luxury consumerism.

In Stephen's Shine a Light When It's Gray Out, the artist works with mixed media elements, such as 3D printed busts and skulls, embroidered butterflies, flowers, and gold leaf. Inspired by the recent birth of his now 16-month-old daughter, this series is thematically centered around hope and love. For Stephen, these works are meant to be a light in the dark, as well as a symbol of perseverance, in Stephen's words, "for ourselves, for our children, for all children."

Each piece is unique and expertly crafted in his Charlotte, North Carolina studio.