DLG309 Artists Don Porcella and Christian Williams (aka Kiffy) demonstrate the beauty and rewards of a mentor/mentee relationship in art.

Dr. Lisa Gives a Sh*t

I was totally jolted out of my art world cynicism by spending an hour with these two masters, one accomplished and one on his way. Don Porcella is a well-known artist with amazing, original work and a loooong resume of shows, fairs and collectors. Christian Williams, a young talent, seemingly plucked out of Buffalo, NY—comes to NYC and has the great good fortune of being paired with Don through Wild Geese Gallery. They share a sense of humor and other aesthetics in their work, but what comes through is the magic of a shared passion for creativity which produces a bond that transcends all of the other stuff. Though Don and Christian live hundreds of miles apart, I think these guys will be in touch for many, many years to come.

Don Pocella Bio: Born and raised in Modesto, California, Don Porcella’s artwork has been exhibited at galleries and museums around the world including the United States, China, Greece, Germany, France, Denmark, Colombia and Mexico. Porcella’s art has been published in the New York Times, NY Arts, Fiber Arts Magazine, Chelsea Now, San Francisco Magazine and the Village Voice. He has a BA in Psychology from the University of California at San Diego, a BFA from California College of Arts and Crafts and an MFA from Hunter College in New York. Porcella’s work is included in public and private collections across the United States and Europe. Porcella has received grants from the Council on the Arts and Humanities for Staten Island, the Brooklyn Arts Council, an EAF Fellowship from Socrates Sculpture Park, the 2012 West Collects Prize, an artist residency at the Museum of Arts and Design, and a 2014 Swatch Art Residency in Shanghai. In 2015 Porcella collaborated with an artist from Iran and the work was exhibited at the Venice Biennial. In 2016, Porcella created 4 installations for the Hermes Maison in Shanghai, China that was published in over 100 television, online and print media in the US and China. In 2018, Porcella created 7 installations for the Hermes boutique in Manhattan, NY which was featured in Architectural Digest, NY Magazine and Yahoo.

Christian Williams Bio: (Kiffy the pit) is an artist from Buffalo, NY working primarily in digital art, pen and ink, and currently adding painting to his arsenal. His style is heavily inspired by cartoons with his own little splash of chaos. His art captures the blissful & free nature of childish creativity a lawless smash up of the first thing that comes to his mind.

Wild Geese Gallery: Wild Geese Gallery is a multi-media collaborative space created by artist Pearce Green during the pandemic with the backing of Wild Geese Productions, which became a gathering place for young artists making new work. The gallery invites renowned artists to collaborate, exchange ideas, share experiences and, with the enthusiasm of our supportive community, help grow the next generation of artists. 473 Amsterdam Ave. (Between 82+83 St.).

More about Don's work HERE. Follow Don on Instagram HERE.

Follow Kiffy on Instagram HERE.