Jeremiah Chiu creates jazzy, techno tunes, electrifies his art with colors that scream neon and designs graphics that speak stories.
Plus, he’s a frequent lecturer and educator, too.
So the question is hardly "What does Jeremiah Chiu do?" More properly, it should be "What on earth does Jeremiah Chiu not do?"
The Los Angeles-based multi-disciplinary soul is the graphic artist, and even occasionally has been the unofficial, streaming events online musical composer for the Exhibit Columbus pop-up architectural extravaganza titled "New Middles" slated Aug. 21 to Nov. 28 locally.
He spoke Thursday via Zoom in a flurry of overlapping roles, including electronic deejay, amid his Some All None practice that encompasses both his creative business and personal pursuits.
"This hybrid practice connects all my interests like a family tree connects relatives," he said. "It’s like a fingerprint that traces a path. And like a path, I’d rather not know exactly where I’ll go, and instead explore all the places I might head.
"Society used to say, ‘Jack of all trades, master of none.’ But society as we now see it needs less masters and instead needs to be ‘jacked.’ So I embrace my own experimental path."
Local residents already have noted part of Chiu’s experimenting, since his soothing intro music to Exhibit Columbus’ Zoom gatherings has earned praise.
Iker Gill, the Chicago-based co-curator of this version of Exhibit Columbus, and one who has worked with Chui on a number of occasions, smiled as Chiu finished his video presentation Thursday afternoon.
"It’s always a pleasure to see you take us on a wild ride," Gill said as others chuckled.
Viewers were fairly wowed by Chiu’s pluralistic efforts amid that ride.
"Such beautiful, playful and thoughtful work," said Janice Shimizu, Exhibit Columbus’ associate curator.
Exhibit Columbus is a free exploration of architecture, art, design, and community that highlights the design legacy of the small city with a global-sized impact. The first such event in 2017 attracted an estimated 40,000 in-person viewers or attendees, plus a wealth of national and international media attention. In 2019, it attracted about 30,000 people, according to organizers.
Chiu mentioned that he is excited within a few days to finally get to visit the city that so far he has researched, read about, and seen only only in photos, video, and Google maps.
"All those touch points will now get to be activated," he said.
He acknowledged that his graphics and planned signage for the event have been influenced by everyone from celebrated textile artist Alexander Girard to lauded art director and graphic artist Paul Rand. Plus, he tipped his hat to the work of former Exhibit Columbus graphics specialist Rick Valicenti.
Anne Surak, Exhibit Columbus’ director, linked Chiu’s work with the idea of "finding poetry and surprise" within the work of the event collaborators.
Part of Chiu’s lettering he has used on some of the Exhibit Columbus publicity looks to be shaped by small, interconnected diamonds. He’s such an unconventional thinker that he said he often imagines what an image would sound like in music or how music can be interpreted in images or graphics.
Another part of his graphics for the event have featured shapes that he said look like masks — a timely idea for an event that arrives seemingly at the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"This is just a realm that I feel comfortable in," he said.
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He is a resident deejay at the Los Angeles-based Dublab and Lumpen Radio, and has exhibited/performed at The Getty Center, LACMA, Cincinnati Contemporary Art Center, and the Museum of Contemporary Art Chicago, amongst others.
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