Bios
Michael Kalish
Michael Kalish is an internationally acclaimed artist and sculptor who has a natural ability to transform ordinary objects into extraordinary works of art.
The subjects of Kalish’s work reference a broad sampling of American culture, from the all-American pastime of baseball and the morning cup of Java to portraits of popular, political and cultural icons.
His signature medium, the license plate, embraces his ideal of Americana with his own contemporary sophistication, curiosity and distinctive style. Many of his unique sculptures have found permanent parking spots in a number of Hollywood homes.
Over the past 15 years, Kalish has garnered national and international press exposure as well as solo shows and representation in galleries around the world. He has been the feature of stories in publications from the NY Times and People to Art in America and USA Today, as well as TV appearances on CBS Sunday Morning and CNN’s “To the Top.” reALIze marks an entrance into a new medium of work for Kalish, publicly installed monuments.
Oyler Wu
The architecture office of Oyler Wu Collaborative was established in 2001 in New York, and is currently located in Los Angeles, CA. The two partners, Dwayne Oyler and Jenny Wu, both received their Masters of Architecture degree from the Harvard University Graduate School of Design. They have both worked as project managers for renowned offices in New York including Toshiko Mori Architect, Lebbeus Woods, Architecture Research Office, and Gluckman Mayner Architects prior to starting their own practice. Their current work includes projects of a wide range of types and sizes, ranging from gallery installations to a 23-story mixed use tower. With projects located in Los Angeles, Taipei, Taiwan, and Ordos, Inner Mongolia, they have been widely published globally for their experimental design aesthetics. Both partners are professors of architecture at the Southern California Institute of Architecture. Oyler Wu Collaborative was recently awarded the design of the new space for the LA Forum for Art and Architecture in Hollywood. Their first book, Pendulum Plane, was published in July through RAM Publications. They were awarded an honorable mention for their Live Wire project in I.D Magazine's 2009 Annual Design Review.