Contemporary Art Matters

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Contemporary Art Matters

Contemporary Art Matters is a private art gallery in downtown Columbus, Ohio owned by Rebecca Ibel.

06/22/2026

Opening this week!
Rufai Zakari: The Comfort We Chase
Thursday, June 25, from 5–7 PM.

Contemporary Art Matters is pleased to present “The Comfort We Chase”, a solo exhibition of new assemblages by Rufai Zakari, an artist based in Accra, Ghana. Stitching together plastic packaging upcycled from the streets of his community, Zakari’s new work reflects on quiet moments sheltered from the stresses of contemporary life. The exhibition will be on view at the gallery’s 243 N. 5th Street, Columbus, OH, location from June 25 through July 30, 2026, with an opening reception on Thursday, June 25, from 5–7 PM.

Rufai Zakari is widely recognized for his vibrant figurative works, particularly his portraits of women, which showcase the strength, resilience, and beauty of his Ghanaian community. For his latest solo exhibition, The Comfort We Chase, the artist considers the universal desire for comfort, peace, and emotional freedom amid turbulent times.

Pool Day 1, 2025, Recycled plastics with handstitching, 57 x 88 in.

06/19/2026

Jeffery D. Chaddock is one of our collectors who has worked with Contemporary Art Matters' director, Rebecca Ibel, for more than 25 years. We thought we would share some of his thoughts about collecting, along with a glimpse of the artwork in his phenomenal collection, installed at his business right here in Columbus.

CAM: How long have you been collecting, and do you recall when you began working with Rebecca?
JDC: The first piece of art I purchased was when I was 21, from a wonderful gallery called Cameron and Hyde in the Short North. I vividly remember going to view it three or four times before purchasing it. With a combination of trepidation, excitement, and passion, the pursuit was finally successful. It wasn't by anyone famous, but it was an image that I found compelling and interesting.
The first piece I purchased from Rebecca was 25 years ago, and it was by Rob Wynne.

CAM: How does collecting make you feel?
JDC: The adrenaline could not be much stronger. Over the years, the motivation has shifted. Today, it's about diversity across mediums and artists, and about leaving a strong legacy through gifts to important institutions such as museums.

CAM: Why do you share your collection with employees and clients by displaying it in your offices?
JDC: The fact that we spend one-third of our lives in a work environment does not mean it should be sterile or devoid of extraordinary art. I believed this very early in my career. We have continually strived to improve the collection for the greater good, and I finally feel proud of its latest curated rendition.

06/16/2026

In Patrick Wilson’s painting “Desert Bloom”, 2024, Acrylic on canvas 21 x 27 in., hues of violet bloom viscerally from candescent orange, their dynamic saturation creating an arresting visual force anchored by the composition’s geometry. Here, color and form become the subject itself, offering a contemplative respite from the relentless flow of digital imagery and inviting an immersive, sensorial viewing experience.

New paintings by Patrick Wilson are on display now in our Viewing Room by appointment.

For inquiries contact Rebecca Ibel or Cathy Williard at [email protected] or 614-313-4360.

06/11/2026

Save the date! Thursday, June 25, from 5–7 PM for the opening of Rufai Zakari’s solo exhibition, “The Comfort We Chase”.

A solo exhibition of new assemblages by Rufai Zakari, an artist based in Accra, Ghana. Stitching together plastic packaging upcycled from the streets of his community, Zakari’s new work reflects on quiet moments sheltered from the stresses of contemporary life. The exhibition will be on view at the gallery’s 243 N. 5th Street, Columbus, OH, location from June 25 through July 30, 2026, with an opening reception on Thursday, June 25, from 5–7 PM.

Image: Let's Swim 1, 2025, Recycled plastics with hand stitching, 32 x 36 in.

For inquiries contact Rebecca Ibel or Cathy Williard at [email protected] or 614-313-4360.

06/08/2026

Contemporary Art Matters is pleased to present new works by Los Angeles-based artist Patrick Wilson in our Viewing Room this June. Wilson’s abstract paintings emerge from a distinctly Southern California artistic legacy shaped by experimentation, light, and a keen sensitivity to color and surface. Expanding the visual language of hard-edge painting, he orchestrates translucent planes of luminous color that intersect and transform through changing opacities.
The result is an immersive visual experience that invites viewers to slow down and engage with color, light, and form.

Photos:
Patrick Wilson pictured with his dog Nellie in front of a 1981 painting by Roy De Forest, an artist he cites as one of his greatest influences.
Patrick Wilson, “Trout Fishing”, 2025, Acrylic on canvas, 27 x 21 in.

Patrick Wilson (b. 1970 in Redding, CA) received his Master of Fine Arts from Claremont Graduate University, Claremont, CA and his Bachelor of Arts from University of California, Davis, CA. Wilson has been the subject of recent solo exhibitions at Miles McEnery Gallery, New York, NY; Vielmetter Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA; and the Center for the Arts at Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA. His work has been exhibited in numerous institutions including The Ahmanson Gallery, Los Angeles, CA; Crocker Art Museum, Sacramento, CA; Guggenheim Gallery, Chapman University, Orange, CA; Hirshhorn Museum and Sculpture Garden, Washington, D.C.; The Laguna Art Museum, Laguna Beach, CA; Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Los Angeles, CA; Pizzuti Collection, Columbus, OH, among others. His work may be found in the collections of the Achenbach Collection, Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, San Francisco, CA; Beth Rudin DeWoody Collection, West Palm Beach, FL; Columbus Museum of Art, Columbus, OH; Elmhurst Art Museum, Elmhurst, IL; Pizzuti Collection, Columbus, OH; Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, MN and many others. Wilson lives and works in Los Angeles, CA.

For inquiries contact Rebecca Ibel or Cathy Williard at [email protected] or 614-313-4360.

06/04/2026

One week left to experience Contemporary Art Matters’ presentation of British artist Madeleine Bunbury’s solo exhibition of paintings and drawings.

Bunbury creates dramatic equine portraits that capture the individuality, presence, and spirit of each horse. Alongside these majestic oil paintings are delicate watercolor and ink drawings on paper depicting imagined spotted horses adorned with festive plumes. Rendered with elegant, expressive line work, these whimsical works reveal another facet of the artist’s fascination with the beauty, character, and enduring allure of horses.

Images: Madeleine Bunbury, Spotty Horse, 2025, Watercolor and ink on paper, 12 x 8 ½ in.,
Madeleine Bunbury, Spotty Horse, 2023, Watercolor and ink on paper, 12 x 8 ½ in.
Madeleine Bunbury, Pink Stripe 6, Watercolor and ink on paper, 6 x 8 ½ in.

For inquiries contact Rebecca Ibel or Cathy Williard at [email protected] or 614-313-4360.

06/02/2026

Contemporary Art Matters Artist featured in ArtNews!

05/28/2026

Earlier this year, Contemporary Art Matters Director Rebecca Ibel had the opportunity to visit the studio of artist Rufai Zakari, in Accra, Ghana. Accompanied by fellow art enthusiasts, she was welcomed into the artist’s creative space for an inspiring tour and a firsthand look at the ideas, materials, and local influences that shape his practice.

The visit offered a rare glimpse into Zakari’s process, from the development of new compositions to the rich cultural and visual references drawn from his surroundings. As an added treat, the group received a sneak peek at several new works currently in progress—assemblages that continue Zakari’s exploration of identity, memory, and community through his distinctive visual language.

And the exciting news doesn’t stop there: Rufai Zakari’s upcoming exhibition at Contemporary Art Matters is just around the corner! We can’t wait to share more about this special presentation and the remarkable new work that will be on view.

Stay tuned for exhibition details coming soon.

05/26/2026

This month in our Viewing Room we are presenting “Still Life”, a group of drawings, paintings, and textile works exploring the rich spectrum of contemporary approaches to the still life genre.

While we are accustomed to admiring bouquets of flowers, what about the beauty of a prepared dish or the main course of a celebratory dinner? In Kira Nam Greene’s food-centric still lifes, her realistically rendered cuisine inhabits an environment of decorative patterns and multicultural motifs. Working in colored pencil, gouache, and watercolor, her works on paper blend observational detail with abstract elements, moving between real and imagined spaces.

Artist Cheryl Pope’s textile work, “Room with a Knife”, depicts blooms as they decline and drop from their container, recalling seventeenth-century Vanitas paintings. While the work reflects on the ephemeral, its flattened spatial construction and heightened color also situate it within a modernist lineage of expressive interior scenes. With the central composition and rich red background of the felt, inspiration from Édouard Manet and Henri Matisse comes through.

Kira Nam Greene, “Cool as a Cucumber in a Bowl of Hot Sauce”, 2013, colored pencil, gouache and watercolor on paper mounted on panel, 36 x 30 in.

Cheryl Pope, “Room with a Knife”, 2024, Needle-punched wool roving on cashmere, 12¾ x 11¼ in.

Artists featured in “Still Life”: Cooper Cox, Linda Gall, Daina Higgins, Kira Nam Greene, Cheryl Pope, andBilly Sullivan.

For inquiries contact Rebecca Ibel or Cathy Williard at [email protected] or 614-313-4360.

Address

243 N. 5th Street, Suite 110
Columbus, OH
43215

Telephone

+16143005381

Website

http://contemporaryartmatters.com/

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