Chris Rothermel is the Sculpture Area Head at the Hong Kong Baptist University. Rothermel acquired both his Masters and Bachelors degree from the University of Oregon and the University of Georgia respectively. Prior to working at HKBU he taught full time all levels of Sculpture, Drawing and Designwas at Georgia State University in Atlanta, Georgia. Previous to working in Atlanta, Chris was the Artist in Residence in Denmark, Maine where he provided workshops and showed his work. Chris has also showed his work in Oregon, New York City, New Jersey, and Georgia. Chris has several private collectors throughout the East coast. Chris has had solo exhibitions in Oregon and New Jersey. Before he acquired his Masters degree from the University of Oregon, Chris worked for and produced his personal research at the Johnson Atelier Technical Institute of Sculpture in Trenton, New Jersey. Chris also received a certificate of Full Apprenticeship at the Institute in the areas of metal casting and stone.

"In this time, to work with stone is to revisit its essential character. As a raw material that has been used since the beginning of time to represent, symbolize or characterize a culture, the core interest of these work is in the stone itself and its ability to sustain different textures, degrees of polish and mark making. Stone as a material to communicate 3D form most recently has lost its ability to communicate only itself, its stone(ness) This work looks at deriving only the essential form from the material and challenges the viewer to appreciate the form in the moment.

The beginning of each work starts with the selection of specific shapes. These shapes are determined by a combination of experience in working with large scale stone cutting machines and the witnessing of the shapes that can be cut. The distinctive shapes contrast the precision of the machines that produced them because they are byproducts of these stone cutting machines: the discards. This act of appropriation frees the selected form from expectation. It essentially allows the materiality of the stone to come to the forefront and sustain the appreciation of the form in the moment."
- Chris Rothermel, 2008





EXHIBITIONS(selected)

2007
Trace and Transfer, 1a Space Cattle Depot Artists Village, Hong Kong

2006
Hong Kong Baptist University Inaugural Exhibition, Academy of Visual Arts Inaugural Exhibition

2004
Gas, Food and Lodging, Atlanta, Georgia, USA

2003
MFA Thesis Exhibit, Laverne Krauss Gallery; Jacobs Gallery Portland, Oregon, USA
The Object and the Photo, Eugene, Oregon, USA
Work on Paper, Robert Canaga Gallery, Eugene, Oregon, USA
Collectors Show, Robert Canaga Gallery, Eugene, Oregon, USA

2002-05
Wene' Gallery, Portland, Oregon, USA

2001
Elarslie Museum Atelier Show, Trento, N.J., USA
Elarslie Museum Group Exhibition, Trento, N.J., USA
Michail/Lomnardo Gallery

2000
Solo Exhibition, Extension Gallery, Johnson Atelier, Mercerville, N.J., USA

1999-2000
Rhinehart/Fisher Gallery, Mercerville, N.J., USA

AWARDS & ACHIEVEMENTS

2007
Trace and Transfer, Publication of recent and previous work, Chris Rothermel, Asia 1 Printing, 89 pages.

Trace and Transfer, Video, 20 minute video documenting the production of recent work to be shown during exhibition.

2006
Staff Research Grant Category 1 (Human representation in Architecture), HKBU
Staff Research Grant Category 1 (Stone: a Foundation in Introspection), HKBU

2004
Artist in Residence, Denmark Arts Centre, Maine, USA

2003
Jan Zach Award for Research and Travel, University of Oregon