Press Release

Mrs. is pleased to present Paper Chase, a dynamic group exhibition curated by advisor, collection manager, and art historian Thea Smolinski. On view at the gallery’s satellite location, Paper Chase brings together an eclectic selection of works on paper that serve as intimate entry points into the artists' broader practices—moments of exploration, experimentation, and revelation.

Featuring works by Dan Colen, Matt Connors, Sharif Farrag, Daniel Gibson, Shara Hughes, Jordy Kerwick, Tony Lewis, Jesse Mockrin, Robert Nava, Rebecca Ness, Aliza Nisenbaum, Danielle Orchard, Emily Mae Smith, and Robert Zehnder, the exhibition draws on the informal, often improvisational nature of working on paper. These pieces function as flashes of insight—fragments that illuminate an artist’s thought process and studio momentum.

Some artists, like Tony Lewis and Jesse Mockrin, use drawing as a conceptual testing ground, refining language, symbolism, or figuration. Others, like Shara Hughes and Emily Mae Smith, embrace the immediacy of the medium to play with gesture and spatial illusion. In the case of Robert Zehnder and Daniel Gibson, the works channel psychological narratives and personal mythologies. Whether preparatory studies or self-contained statements, the works in Paper Chase offer a candid look into the acts of observation, intuition, and invention that drive each artist forward.

Taking its name from the childhood game in which participants follow a trail toward a hidden goal, Paper Chase invites viewers to engage in a similar pursuit—tracking the connections between process and product, spontaneity and intention.

Thea Smolinski is an advisor, collection manager, and curator committed to supporting artists and expanding access to their work. She holds a BA in Art History from Georgetown University and completed an MA and doctoral coursework at the Institute of Fine Arts, NYU. Her background spans museums (The Wolfsonian–FIU), galleries (Michael Werner, Shaheen Modern and Contemporary Art), advisories (Allan Schwartzman), and private collections, along with extensive research work with the late Linda Nochlin. Her recent curatorial projects—at the Jane Club (Los Angeles), The Pit (Palm Springs), Shrine (Los Angeles), and Massey Klein (New York)—highlight her ongoing interest in women, labor, and artistic networks. She lives in Los Angeles with the painter Craig Kucia and their two children.

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