Chromophilia: Celebrating Color in the Ahmanson Collection
- Jan 16
- 2 min read
Updated: Jan 31
Born out of a disdain for "chromophobia," the fear of color (as witnessed by Pantone's 2026 Color of the Year: Cloud Dancer, a soft white), Chromophilia celebrates all the vibrant color found in the Ahmanson art collection.
The Chromophilia exhibit explores the emotional and sensory power of color—its ability to evoke feeling, shape mood, and communicate meaning. The exhibition examines how artists use color to express ideas, experiment with perception, and create visual impact, while also considering color’s cultural, social, and philosophical dimensions. Through bold palettes, nuanced use of light, and dynamic explorations of color theory, the show reveals the rich and varied expressions of color found within the Ahmanson Collection.
The exhibition opening featured a performance by the Euan Stevenson jazz trio performing a jazz piano review entitled “Ellington to Evans,” shedding light on the styles and techniques of popular jazz piano icons such as Duke Ellington, Erroll Garner, Oscar Peterson, George Shearing, and Bill Evans. Euan Stevenson, with fellow Scottish musicians Tom Gordon on drums (BBC Big Band/Lalo Schifrin/NDR Bigband) and rising star Ewan Hastie on double bass (BBC UK Young Jazz Musician 2022), form one of the most joyously swinging trios on the UK Jazz scene today.
Dr. Jonathan Anderson, Associate Professor of Theology and the Arts at Regent College (Vancouver, BC), moderated a panel discussion of chromophilia with collector Roberta Ahmanson, curator John Silvis, and artists Lynn Aldrich and Daniel Gibson. Dr. Anderson's scholarship explores the interrelations of art history, theology, and religious studies, with a particular focus on modern and contemporary art. He is the author of The Invisibility of Religion in Contemporary Art (2025).
Photos: Eric Stoner, availablelight1.com
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