EXPO CHICAGO 2026: Anton Kern Gallery and Regen Projects | Stand 403

Anton Kern Gallery and Regen Projects are excited to announce our joint presentation with Aliza Nisenbaum at EXPO CHICAGO 2026. Exemplifying the artist’s singular approach to portraiture and community engagement, the paintings on view relate to Nisenbaum’s large-scale mural, which will be unveiled at the Obama Presidential Center’s opening in June of 2026.

Nisenbaum's paintings are developed through a form of participatory observation that involves forging relationships with her subjects, often from diasporic and immigrant communities, and their environments. Her sweeping mural created for the Obama Center, entitled Reading Circles/ Weaving Dreams/ Seeding Futures (2026), celebrates the role of the public library through a composition of community members reading, creating, learning, and gathering. The mural foregrounds the artist’s engagement with fabrics, patterns, and visual layering, notably the vibrant hand-embroidery of Mexican Otomi textiles, a nod to her own heritage; and kanga cloths, a tribute to former President Barack Obama’s Kenyan ancestry. A suite of smaller portraits created for EXPO CHICAGO 2026 focuses on individuals that Nisenbaum has painted throughout her career, including some of the sitters represented in the mural.

Hours

VIP Preview
Thursday, April 9, 2026
By Invitation Only. Check your VIP pass for entry time. Fair closes at 8:00pm

General Admission
Thursday, April 9, 2026 | 5:00–8:00pm* Opening Night Ticket holders only
Friday, April 10, 2026 | 11:00am – 7:00pm
Saturday, April 11, 2026 | 11:00am – 7:00pm
Sunday, April 12, 2025 | 11:00am – 6:00pm

Visit the website here to learn more.