Vessels: Pieces about Connections and Containers

Gallery 913 is thrilled to announce "Vessels: Pieces about Connections and Containers," the debut solo exhibition by multidisciplinary artist Hobart Pao, presenting under the banner of Duality Industries. Running from January 15 to February 28, 2026, this thought-provoking show explores themes of duality, liminality, and human connection through a collection of digital photographs, acrylic and mixed media paintings, and conceptual readymades.

Drawing inspiration from the overlooked entities of New York City—thresholds, stairwells, mannequins, vessels, structures, and technologies—Hobart reveals the extraordinary in the ordinary. His work interrogates consumer culture, societal constructs, technology, and the fragile threads of human connection, capturing the fleeting and interstitial moments that define urban life.

The exhibition features over 15 works, including standout pieces such as the archival canvas print Vessels ($550), which captures the beauty in used vessels and the way they are readily discarded; the acrylic on linen I'm Not Buying It ($500), a pop-infused critique of dynamic pricing and commodification; and the mixed media Etale ($1,200), a repurposed object that questions functionality in the vein of Duchamp and Koons. Other highlights include Fossil Fuels ($610), a wry acrylic commentary on the irony of evolution: the once-dominant predator reduced to prey, the relentless extractor now the extracted fossil fuel itself, and Business as Usual ($1,200), an acrylic paint marker composition on canvas that blends modern UI iconography and wry humor to dissect the everyday mechanics of societal "business."

Through thick impasto techniques, heavy gloss varnishing, and expansive color fields inspired by Rothko and Warhol, Hobart's paintings deny traditional painterly gestures, creating sterile, industrial illusions that conceal the canvas and generate emergent meanings through juxtaposition. His digital photographs freeze interstitial moments, emphasizing disconnection in an era of constant linkage, while readymades like repurposed extinguishers extend these explorations into three dimensions, incorporating geometric forms from contemporary interface design.

"Duality Industries bridges art and humanity, inviting viewers to reconsider the worlds we inhabit—not as passive observers, but as active participants in the liminal spaces between presence and absence," says Hobart. "This show is about noticing the extraordinary in the ordinary, questioning what contains us and what connects us in a city that never stops moving."

Gallery 913, located in Bay Ridge, Brooklyn, is dedicated to showcasing emerging artists who challenge conventional boundaries through innovative multidisciplinary practices.

For more information, images, or to schedule an interview, contact:

Hobart Pao
Duality Industries
Email: dualityindustries@gmail.com
Phone: (917)-657-6121