So, this upcoming First Friday I will be having new work up at Fraction Print Studios alongside Ash Miyagawa and Avery Fowles. I'm pretty excited, not only because of the beautiful work that I will be hanging (out) with, but also our vision for the show: an installation of art and hanging flowers. It will be beautiful.

Hope to see you there:

Flora & Fauna : a drawing exhibition
Fraction Print Studio
130 W 18th Street, KCMO 64108
Opening: May 5th
Closing: June 30th

ashmiyagawa.comaveryfowles.tumblr.com — ashmiyagawa.com
averyfowles.tumblr.com

This new work has been really cathartic. I've been trying to spend some extra time in details, but also revisiting my old paintings from 2012, 'Containment'; a body of work that reflected on inner struggles and ignoring our animalistic feelings fearing mental illness because of them. This time around I decided to make things personal (insert action movie reference). 2017 can kind of go kick itself, with all the struggles, trying times, and life challenges that it's getting a laugh out of. So, why not make a body of work to go with it? I've always been fascinated with the idea of irony, like death just being a next step in life like becoming an adult and acquiring debt: something to be celebrated. Our view of death is skewed because our culture (and religion) but maybe this irony applies to other things in our life as well? We plenty of times have a separation between the actuality of a situation and reality. For example, eating meat but then angered when animals are killed; driving cars but then complaining about fossil fuels; stereotyping but then angered when labeled ourselves. Look beyond what you see in front of you. This is irony.

What other necessary ironies can you think of?

Upcoming Show! Flora & Fauna