Hilton | Asmus Contemporary (716 N. Wells St.) is proud to announce its newest exhibition, The Art and Science of a Happiness, opening Friday, Jan. 3 at 6 p.m. The show will feature paintings and sculptures created by artist and gallerist Arica Hilton in response to and inspired by her work with Dr. Jay Kumar, a pioneer in the field of brain science, behavioral health and happiness and the co-founder of the Applied Brain Science Research Institute. Hilton’s painting, Universe, Life Unlimited, is featured on the cover of Kumar’s most recent book, Science of a Happy Brain: Thriving in the Age of Anger, Anxiety and Addiction. The opening event will include a book signing by Dr. Jay Kumar. The exhibition will remain on display through Feb. 14.
“My meeting with Dr. Jay was a timely one. It has reinforced my longstanding belief that we can create our lives the way we choose to. I believe in continuously striving to achieve what was previously unimaginable,” said Hilton. “As we embark upon a new decade, now is a perfect time to look oneself in the eyes and make that leap into the next phase of life. I want to share art that is a harbinger of serenity, tranquility, inspiration, faith and ultimately happiness.”
In his efforts to understand why happiness seems so elusive to virtually everyone on the planet, Dr. Jay Kumar developed strategies for tapping into an empowering state of mind: “The Four Cs of Happiness” – Comfort, Contribution, Connection, and Compassion. Dr. Deepak Chopra writes, “Dr. Jay Kumar gives some tantalizing thoughts, based on novel scientific results, and makes the case that our happy brains might be the answer to both personal and societal issues that seem too complex to tackle.”
Those in attendance at Hilton | Asmus Contemporary on Friday evening, January 3rd – for a conversation on The Art & Science of Happiness moderated by veteran Chicago journalist Bill Kurtis – will have a chance to learn these tools and put them to use in their own lives, creating a happy new year, and a happy new decade.
The essence of the collaboration between Dr. Jay, the Happiness Professor, and Arica Hilton, the artist, manifests in one of Hilton’s neon sculptures declaring, “I have one wing, you have another. Together we can fly!”
Gerould Kern, former editor of the Chicago Tribune, wrote in the introduction for her exhibition at the Union League Club, “Without water, there is no life. Without life, there is no consciousness. Without consciousness, there is no art. Without art, there is no revelation. And here, Arica Hilton is the instrument of our revelation.”
About Arica Hilton
An accomplished artist, gallerist, mother of two, triathlete and world explorer, Hilton is an active conservationist and humanitarian, lending her time and resources to environmental causes and supporting at-risk children’s and women’s initiatives. Her world tour, I FLOW LIKE WATER, raises awareness and searches for solutions to the billions of tons of plastic polluting our oceans, and has been exhibited in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, Beirut, Brussels, Geneva, New York, Aspen and Chicago.
Gerould Kern, former editor of the Chicago Tribune, wrote in the introduction for her exhibition at the Union League Club, “Without water, there is no life. Without life, there is no consciousness. Without consciousness, there is no art. Without art, there is no revelation. And here, Arica Hilton is the instrument of our revelation.”
Whether she is hiking the Himalayas with a Tibetan monk to experience the country’s culture; cage diving with great white sharks off Guadalupe Island; trawling for microplastics with National Geographic photographers in the Pacific Ocean; or raising funds for children's literacy or at risk women and children, Hilton is driven to pursue first-hand encounters with people and their living environments. Near and far, Hilton seeks the unique and uncommon. She is currently training to climb Mount Kilimanjaro in February 2020 as her first challenge of the new decade.
About Dr. Jay Kumar
Jay Kumar, Ph.D. (“Your Happiness Professor”) is a renowned public speaker and thought leader. His expertise spans brain science and behavioral health; economics, politics, culture and religion. He also holds a master’s degree from the School of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University in international political economy. In 2015, Dr. Jay co-founded the Applied Brain Science Research Institute (ABSRI) — an international organization that explores the dynamic intersection of science, spirituality, and society in order to advance solutions for critical issues facing our contemporary and complex world.
About Hilton | Asmus Contemporary
Hilton | Asmus Contemporary is owned and run by multi-media artist, poet, conservationist, humanitarian and global advocate, Arica Hilton. With more than 30 years of experience in representing artists around the world, Hilton founded Hilton | Asmus Contemporary in 2012. In recent years the gallery has flourished, seeing tremendous growth and recognition for the caliber of art exhibitions Hilton has brought to Chicago.
Located in Chicago's River North Art District, the gallery specializes in modern and contemporary paintings, works on paper, sculpture and photography featuring Chicago-based emerging and established artists, with a focus on internationally known artists from Northern Europe and the Mediterranean Region such as France, Italy, Turkey, Greece, and the Middle East.
Hilton | Asmus Contemporary has received national acclaim for exhibitions of the photographers David Yarrow, David Gamble, Terry O’Neill, Douglas Kirkland, Peter Sorel and Julian Wasser.