About this Event
Currently on view at 1708 Gallery's satellite space at Linden Row Inn is the artwork of Oura Sananikone.
About the exhibition:
"In many cultures around the world, children are given a name as well as a nickname at birth. They are also called by other nicknames by friends and family; and sometimes their given nomenclature are incorrectly pronounced. How does naming and the subsequent aliases affect and shape who we are and how we interact with the world? Who knows all of our aliases? Who are we when we are alone? How do we pronounce our own name? What do our names mean etymologically? Would you see me differently if you knew Oura Sananikone means “Heart Leader-of-the-People?” Should it matter?
Secret Name refers not only to ourselves but also to what we call our higher power. Does it matter what we call it as long as we can still talk to it? Are they always listening? Are we? To me, Secret Name invokes power, mystery, love, and an almost non-verbal mode of communication. No one else needs to know this sacred name. It is for you to know and yours alone."
About the artist:
Laotian-American artist Oura Sananikone, now Richmond-based, graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University in painting and printmaking in 2000. As a multidisciplinary artist, he also works in comics, zines, risography, photography, poetry, music, animation, 3D design, and graphic design. Oura is inspired by illustration, street art, Abstract Expressionism, Post-Modernism, Asian Calligraphy, Punk Rock, and toy design. Common themes in his art include duality, otherness, grief, longing, recovery, hope, despair, and the absurdity of life.
His work has been shown at Gallery 5, 1708 Gallery, the Visual Arts Center of Richmond, Artworks, Crossroads Art Center, Southside Contemporary Gallery, ADA Gallery, Quirk, Hi-Res, Black Iris, Vinyl Conflict, Supply, the Artisphere (Arlington), the Arts Center of Montross, the Spacelab (Philadelphia), and the Cargill Gallery (Minneapolis).
Oura helped open Toy Lair in 2021, and teaches at the Visual Arts Center of Richmond where he was a studio access artist in residence. Additionally, he often vends at various art markets and comic events.
Instagram @ourasananikone
www.linktree.com/misteroura
On View: October 27, 2026 through January 19, 2027
This exhibition is a satellite space managed by 1708 Gallery. Visit our website for more information.
Image: "Who Are We Today?"
36 x 48 inches
Acrylic paint, paper, glue, and gloss medium on canvas
Event venue & nearby stays
Linden Row Inn, 100 East Franklin Street, Richmond, United States
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