By Murat Cem Mengüç, Hyperallergic
October 10, 2023

The last retrospective of Jacob Kainen’s work took place in 1993, during which he was interviewed by the Washington Post and referred to himself as a “fatalist.” He expressed indifference towards the prospect of dying as a relatively unknown painter, despite leaving behind a substantial body of work that many knew of. In that same interview, he predicted that his work would be discovered in the 2020s. Hemphill Artworks, which represents Kainen’s estate, periodically showcases his work in solo exhibitions, contributing to the realization of that prediction...The exhibition primarily features his large abstract paintings from the 1970s and 1980s, in addition to a few smaller pieces from the 1950s.

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By Phil Hutinet, HillRag
October 3, 2023

The exhibition [at Hemphill] commences with a selection of paintings from 1951 and 1953, accompanied by a series of paintings on paper that illuminate the rapid evolution of Kainen’s innovative abstract style. Notably the masterpiece “Mr. Kafka” (1970) draws its creative impulse from suspended clothing, crafting a compelling representation of the human form. This composition became a recurring motif, revisited by Kainen in various sketches and etchings. Throughout the ensuing decades, particularly the 1970s and 1980s, Kainen navigated between periods of lyrical and geometric abstraction, employing meticulous layering techniques to craft compositions that evoke ethereal, floating elements.

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By Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post
October 13, 2023

The Jacob Kainen paintings now on view at Hemphill Artworks date from 1952 to 1988, yet altogether skip the 1960s. The Washington artist (1909-2001) is known as an abstractionist, but he devoted much of that decade to representational work. Only hints of that interest are visible in this selection, which consists principally of 1980s color-field paintings. Their forms can be either loose or precisely geometric, but their colors are always softly layered and seemingly weathered.

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Join us on Saturday, October 28th on the final day of the exhibition Jacob Kainen for a first-hand look at selections of prints spanning Kainen’s career. Prints from the 1940s to the 1990s will be presented in the gallery space in the midst of the exhibition. Enjoy the exuberance of Kainen’s etchings, lithographs, woodcuts, and silkscreens.

Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post

"Even at their most geometric, the paintings in 'Jacob Kainen' have a beguiling softness."

Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post

"The deft juxtaposition of soft-edged color and hard-edged form links the artists in Hemphill Fine Art’s 'Kainen, Scully, Nozkowski.'"

Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post

"Several mini-shows nestle within “Represent,” Hemphill Fine Arts’s 20th-anniversary exhibition."

Louis Jacobson, Washington City Paper

"The exhibit is variegated, but like any good combine painting (and those are included too) it coheres pretty well despite itself, as giants like Robert Rauschenberg mix with such local figures as Joseph Mills, Mingering Mike and Colby Caldwell."

Jessica Dawson, The Washington Post

"Here hang big, striking works by Tom Downing and Jacob Kainen. Here, too, are precious works on paper by Al Jensen and Alma Thomas. That Eugene Atget picture of the taxidermist's vitrine? I'll take it."