Arcadia Contemporary is proud to present 3 painters under the age of 30, who represent the future of representational painting.

Daniel Bilmes, Rae Perry, and Katie Whipple's works are steeped in the tradition of strong draftsmanship and a contemporary take on realistic painting.

Daniel Bilmes is a contemporary painter, working in Los Angeles. His approach is characterized by deep personal exploration, combining realism with elements of symbolism and abstraction. Through tactile textures and delicate expressions, his paintings weave together the magical and mundane. His work is at once hopeful and brooding. Realistic and symbolic. Somewhere between the vitality of the Russian circus and the gravitas of a Churchill speech.

Daniel began his art education at the age of 8 under the tutelage of his father, the respected artist and educator, Semyon Bilmes. Being immersed in art from such an early age had a profound impact on his personal growth and creativity, laying a lasting foundation of curiosity that continues to drive and inform his work today.

Rae Perry is a Dublin based artist who spends her days perched on a wooden ladder she uses as a stool while she paints her still lives. Always working from life, which allows her to better study the subtleties of light and dark, warm and cool. Studied in Angel Academy of Art in Florence, Italy. Work is in many private collections in Italy, America, England, and Ireland.

Katie Whipple (b. 1991) grew up in central Indiana. After graduating high school, Katie decided to forgo traditional college education and move to New York City to study academic painting at the Grand Central Atelier. She has since been the recipient of many awards, including scholarships from the Grand Central Atelier, the Art Renewal Center, and a purchase award from the Indiana State Museum for the permanent collection. Most notably, Katie was awarded second place and named “Protogenes” in the 2013 GCA Drawing competition and was also the recipient of the 2013-2014 Alma Schapiro Prize. The Alma Schapiro Prize sent her to the American Academy in Rome for three months to study the works of the old masters. Katie extended her stay in Italy, journeying from Rome to Florence and Naples studying antiquity and the Renaissance intensively for eight months. She now works full time as a professional painter, teaches part time at the Grand Central Atelier, and lives in Queens, NY with her husband, artist Brendan Johnston, and their dog Theo. ​ From a very early age, Katie knew she had to become a professional artist. In choosing to become a painter, she has aligned herself with the rich and beautiful history of visual representation that dates back to the beginning of Man. Continuing this history is not a responsibility she takes for granted. It is her highest aspiration to gain a greater understanding of the human spirit and to cultivate joy and wonder through the launguage of oil paint.