From April 9 to 12, EXPO CHICAGO returns to Navy Pier, hosting hundreds of galleries, site-specific projects, talks, and multi-disciplinary programming both downtown and across the city. This week is one of the most exciting times for the Chicago-area art scene, and we’re excited to share our annual preview of what we’re most looking forward to!Colossal readers also receive 15 percent off single-day admission with the code COLOSSAL26.Aliza Nisenbaum, “Hitomi” (2022), oil on linen, 66 x 57 inches1. Aliza Nisenbaum at Anton Kern and Regan ProjectsPresented by Anton Kern and Regan Projects, Aliza Nisenbaum’s vibrant portraiture portrays her subjects in bold chromatics. Nisenbaum’s smaller-scale works presented at the fair echo one of her larger projects: a celebratory mural titled “Reading Circles/ Weaving Dreams/ Seeding Futures” created for the Obama Presidential Center.Tawny Chatmon, “The Restoration / Made Whole Again” (2024-2025), embroidery and handstitched threadwork on archival pigment print, 30 x 25 inches. Image courtesy of the artist and Galerie Myrtis2. Tawny Chatmon at Galerie MyrtisWe’re always excited for the opportunity to see Tawny Chatmon’s portraits up close. Galerie Myrtis will be presenting some of the artist’s newer works, which continue her interest in melding craft techniques with photography. Rather than gold leaf, though, Chatmon embroiders various motifs onto her portraits.Maya Fuji, “1PM: Clean·龍神と晴れ女” (2026), acrylic and glitter on canvas, 48 x 60 x 1.5 inches3. Maya Fuji at Charlie JamesReferencing a genre of manga popular in the mid-2000s, Maya Fuji’s Slice of Life peers into the everyday activities of her young characters. Lounging, petting a napping cat, and getting ready for the evening take center stage in these vibrant yet calm paintings.LaKela Brown, “Two Overlapping Collard Leaves” (2026), polyurethane and acrylic, 23 × 8.5 × 2 inches4. LaKela Brown at 56 HenryLaKela Brown has traded in her stark white paint for another monochromatic palette, coating her polyurethane sculptures in black. For her solo presentation with 56 Henry, the artist explores ethnobotany and Black life in America through renditions of collard greens, tobacco, corn, chicken wings, and more.Gerard Mas, “Party Horn Lady” (2026), polychrome resin; 53 x 36.5 x 26 centimeters, edition 5 of 75. Gerard Mas at Ting Ting Art SpaceLongtime Colossal readers will likely recognize this cheeky figure as one of Gerard Mas’ brazen busts. For the past few years, the Barcelona-based artist has been taking a playful, contemporary approach to sculpture, casting spirited women in a variety of witty roles.Rahma Lhoussig, “Playtime 2” (2023), mixed technique on canvas, 47 1/5 × 59 3/10 inches6. Rhama Lhoussig at dmincubatorMerging abstraction and magical realism, Rhama Lhoussig paints vivid domestic scenes in which a recurring figure amuses herself with stuffed bears, flowers, toy blocks, and more. Crayon scribbles and crude line drawings fill the surrounding negative space, firmly placing the works in a dynamic moment of creativity.Dee Clements, “lowers, Vase, Baskets” (2026), paper, claybord, reed, pine needle, dye, gouache, water-soluble pastel, 31 x 24.5 inches7. Dee Clements with Mindy SolomonChicago’s own Dee Clements presents a suite of still-life paintings framed in hand-woven frames, alongside mixed-media sculpture and abstract tapestries.Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $7 per month. The article 7 Artists We’re Excited to See at EXPO CHICAGO 2026 appeared first on Colossal.