What if the disposable images of yesterday turn out to be our most enduring monuments? This exhibition features a thoughtfully curated collection of works that explore the dynamic interplay among Pop Art, Abstraction, and storytelling. Pop Art’s use of popular imagery is woven together with the expressive forms of Abstraction and narrative elements, creating a multilayered approach. Imagine the glint of neon on a Pac-Man screen, or the sugary scent of cereal dust rising from a morning bowl—these works bring such sensations to life. By integrating recognizable imagery with abstract composition and narrative cues, the pieces transform familiar visuals into rich stories, combining fantasy and memory within colorful assemblages, cultural symbols, and expressive designs.
Inspired by retro media, consumer products, ads, and cartoons, the series turns mass culture’s language into lively, abstract patterns. Whether it's the bright colors of a 1980s arcade game, the smiling face of Tony the Tiger from vintage cereal ads, or the bold lines of Saturday morning cartoons, these references become touchstones in the playful mix. This encourages viewers to engage with the art through humor, curiosity, and personal interpretation. The result is a visual playground that shares stories and moments without spelling them out, inviting a conversation between the viewer and the artwork, grounded in shared culture and personal memories.
Styrofoam Memories reinterprets mass culture using Pop Art and Abstraction. It draws on nostalgia from retro media, ads, and everyday items to turn fleeting memories into bright visual stories. Using layered assemblage and improvisation, familiar images become playful and open-ended stories. The series encourages viewers to consider how memories can be both fleeting and lasting, blending humor, fantasy, and cultural symbols in an engaging, immersive way. What souvenirs of mass culture will survive us? By framing the exhibition as an open question, the series invites visitors to consider which elements of our shared visual language may endure, transform, or disappear. This prompts an active dialogue about the power of consumer imagery, personal memory, and what lingers after trends fade.
Styrofoam Memories is a title inspired by my childhood during the era of Styrofoam. I can still remember the feeling of those light, crackling Styrofoam cups pressed into my palm at a birthday party, the sound they made as they stacked into a pyramid next to melting ice cream. Styrofoam is a disposable but lasting material, and I compare it to memory—the ordinary memories that suddenly wake me at night, the silly ones that don’t seem important but still drain a lot of energy.
Artist Statement
My work focuses on play, experimentation, and storytelling through Pop Art Abstraction. At its heart, I ask how the symbols and language of mass culture shape our shared memories and personal identities. I’m drawn to the contrast between bright, lively surfaces and deeper meanings, as well as to how nostalgia and irony shape our perception of everyday images. I welcome surprise and spontaneity in every layer, which is packed with pop culture references and icons. Bold, eye-catching text runs across my pieces like ads, inviting viewers to look closer. By abstracting familiar objects and images, I create a playful conversation where nostalgia, irony, and curiosity come together.
Painting allows me to test new processes, such as layering acrylic paints and experimenting with mixed media, including collage and spray paint, while deepening my affinity with the emotional and cultural depth in daily life. By incorporating a variety of materials and application techniques, such as stenciling, texturing, and bold, graphic brushwork, I engage with the unpredictable vocabulary of color, form, and visual storytelling. The influence of artists like Andy Warhol and Jean-Michel Basquiat, particularly their collaborative works, is evident in my use of bold color, the layering of pop-culture imagery, and an energetic composition. Similarly, the playful and socially aware practices of John Rosenquist, Banksy, and Keith Haring inform my approach to using recognizable icons and text to provoke both joy and reflection. While I draw from these influences, I strive to move beyond replication by incorporating personal memories, contemporary references, and an emphasis on the emotional nuances behind familiar images. My work builds on their legacy through a more intuitive process in which spontaneity and improvisation guide the narrative, allowing my own perspective to come forward. Through this approach, I aim to create artwork that instills joy, inspires reflection, and evokes a renewed sense of awe in the viewer.