A Celebrated Artist Opens His Eponymous Gallery in a Familiar Upper Kirby District Space
Celebrated painter and gallerist Christopher Martin is no stranger to Houston. Martin unveiled a 2,000-square-foot gallery along the Upper Kirby District’s acclaimed Gallery Row. Many people will be familiar with this space as it held the studio of famed photographer Evin Thayer Studios for over a decade.
In 2019, the Aspen-based creative, renowned for his expressive and organic abstract paintings, unveiled a monumental outdoor piece as well as two large-scale indoor pieces at Wells Fargo Plaza, one of Texas’ tallest office towers.
Recently, Christopher Martin Gallery previewed to the public and his local gallery joins his spaces in Dallas’ Design District, downtown Aspen and Vail, and will showcase Christopher’s signature work and other contemporary artists. Christopher Martin said, “When this prime Upper Kirby District Gallery Row space became available last year, we knew we had to jump on it immediately. And we can’t wait to introduce Houstonians to the impactful offerings of our carefully curated roster of artists.”
Florida-reared Martin, who established his first studio in Dallas in 1995, is renowned for pieces created through the practice of verre églomisé or gilded glass. The reverse painting process involves Martin painting directly onto the backplane of Lucite. With his paintings created in verso, he must work in reverse, starting first with the foreground before layering upward — the end result achieves a level of depth and luminosity unattainable with traditional canvas alone.
Christopher hosted two buzzy cocktail previews. Longtime collectors hosted an intimate gathering for forty in their Tanglewood home of longtime collectors. Renowned Houston chef Charles Clark artfully prepared an array of delicious hors d’oeuvres for this gathering and the VIP reception at the gallery the following evening, where more than 200 guests enjoyed food, drinks and entertainment. Two of Martin design-wrapped exotic cars marked the entry.
On February 10, the gallery will unveil its newest exhibition Endless Love at a reception from 6 until 9 pm. The show will feature pieces from Christopher Martin’s popular heart series paired with works from other artists including Amber Goldhammer, Jeff Muhs, Collazo Collection and Matt Neuman.
Christopher Martin Gallery Houston is open 10 am to 6 pm Monday through Saturday. For more information, visit www.christophermartingallery.com or call 800.757.6035.
Socially present (not previously mentioned): Janelle and Greg Reid, Sandy and Gus Haddad, Stephanie and Jason Cox, Alan and Luba Bigman, Ian and Melayne Packer, Kendall Ondarza, Sverre and Carrie Brandsberg-Dahl, Marcelo Saenz and Adrian Dueñas, Melissa Dobrowski, Stephanie Perkins, Scott and Erin Podsednik, Roz Pactor, Oliver Halkowich, Amy Johnston, Jose Ocque and Stuart Rosenberg, Leslie Strauss, Ursaline Hamilton, Charles Clark, Erica Garza, Mary Elizabeth Hahnfeld and Mark Monroe and Adriana Banks.
