Kit Kat Club: An Art Form Reimagined
A Collaborative Exhibition by Ramon Shiloh and Scott
Erwert
Opening Summer 2026 / Hosted by Rhythms PDX / Portland,
Oregon
Dates to Be Announced
Curatorial & Artist Statement:
Ramon Shiloh
This exhibition comes out of a long interest in how power,
perception, and shared cultural experiences shape the way we see each other and
the world around us. A key point of origin for me was the 2016 election and the
conversations that followed around public remarks, power, and the way women
were being spoken about and treated in the public sphere. That moment stayed
with me, not only as a political event, but as a reminder of how language,
behavior, and accountability are deeply connected to culture.
From there, this project became less about a single event
and more about how public narratives are created, how images and language
influence one another, and how art can hold difficult conversations without
needing to resolve them. I've become increasingly interested in how artists,
writers, and communities respond to these moments by turning experience into
dialogue, reflection, and action.
At the center of this exhibition is performance culture; its
environments, visibility, labor, contradictions, and influence. I am drawn to
spaces where identity is both expressed and constructed at the same time, where
freedom and perception overlap, and where meaning changes, depending on who is
looking.
Humor is also an important part of my work. Not as a
distraction, but as a tool. Humor can create relief, expose contradictions, and
open doors into conversations people might otherwise avoid. Sometimes it allows
us to look at difficult subjects more honestly.
My collaboration with Scott Erwert brings together two
multidisciplinary artists with different perspectives but a shared interest in
examining the culture we live in. My work uses surrealism, humor, color, and
detail to explore subjects that are often controversial, misunderstood, or
overlooked. Scott's work focuses on the atmosphere of performance spaces,
capturing light, movement, energy, and the environments where people gather,
perform, and express themselves.
Kit Kat Club: An Art Form Reimagined is more than a
single exhibition. It is the first chapter in a larger series of collaborative
exhibitions that Scott and I are developing around subjects that many people
encounter every day but rarely stop, to discuss in a meaningful way.
We are starting with strip culture and the cultural
significance of Portland's Kit Kat Club. From there, the series will continue
with the Assassination FOREVER Stamp Series, Hypocrisy, Stereotype, and Racial
Profile exhibitions. Each project will confront issues that continue to shape
American life, whether people are comfortable talking about them or not.
The purpose of these exhibitions is simple: bring difficult
conversations into public view. We are interested in examining the systems,
beliefs, contradictions, and social pressures that influence how people see one
another, how power operates, and how public opinion is formed. These
exhibitions are not about telling people what to think. They are about
encouraging people to slow down, look closer, ask questions, and engage with
subjects that are often reduced to headlines, political talking points, or social
media arguments.
Some viewers will agree with what they see. Others will
disagree. Both responses are welcome. What matters is that the conversation
happens.
Ultimately, this series is about confronting the realities,
hypocrisies, stereotypes, and cultural forces that continue to influence our
freedoms, identities, and relationships with one another. Art has always had
the power to challenge assumptions, expose contradictions, and spark dialogue. Kit
Kat Club: An Art Form Reimagined is where that conversation begins.
Images Details:
sneak peak of new work
title: Superheroes
medium: acrylic on canvas
size: 30 x 15
by: Scott Erwert
No comments:
Post a Comment