The Peace of Wild Things: Brown and Kwon at Joy Machine

Joy Machine presents The Peace of Wild Things, a duo exhibition featuring Chicago-based American artist Emmy Star Brown and San Jose-based Korean artist Danym Kwon. The show, which runs from August 28 to October 17, 2026, marks Brown's second exhibition at Joy Machine and Kwon's third. The title draws from Wendell Berry's poem of the same name, and the exhibition explores memory and childlike wonder through contrasting practices: Brown works abstractly with vibrant geometries, while Kwon creates surreal depictions of domestic life and care. Brown's work, including monumental murals and intimate canvases, features riotous colors and forms that evoke an inner child, with lines that extend beyond the frame. Kwon incorporates Korean heritage and Asian painting traditions, nesting tiny scenes of family life in folded clothes and vessels reminiscent of Moon Jars. Her diptych "What We Hold Dear" (2026) pairs vignettes of outdoor adventures with hands cradling found objects, presented in a folding frame inspired by Korean design. The exhibition highlights how both artists use painting to process the past and imagine the future, demanding presence and sparking wonder. An opening reception will be held on August 28 from 6 to 8 p.m., with Brown in attendance.