When I moved to Oakland, California, in 2014, I was fascinated by the diverse assortment of characters that I saw in my neighborhood. Whenever I encountered people that captured my attention in local cafes, on the street, on the train, etc, l would stare at them as long as I could so as to commit their facial features to my memory, go home, and draw them. Gouache on paper, 10 X 8 in.
These drawings were created for a 2-person exhibition with Edward del Rosario at Massimo Carasi in Milan, Italy. We chose “games” as a central concept to tie our works together. The series was inspired by the classic American board game the Game of Life. Values that the game portrays are quintessentially American and capitalist, with a conventional life path marked by things like money-making career, marriage, having kids, family vacation, home ownership, investment, and retirement—with lots of money. I made a series of images and hand-drawn texts that reflected my own life and aspirations, and I arranged them until they made sense as a piece. Gouache on paper.
Pink Baby Astronaut, 21 X 16 in
Born to Ride, 21 X 26 in
Ice Cold Lemonade / Winter, 21 X 26 in
Fire Weather Watch, 21 X 16 in
Rain Drop Mayhem, 21 X 16 in
Milk, 21 X 26 in
Work Together, 21 X 26 in
Play Together, 21 X 26 in
Slow and Free, 21 X 26 in
Vim & Vigor, 21 x 16 in
Clucks for Bucks, 21 X 16 in
The second installment of Space Invaders chronicling the world of Octopus-Aliens. Gouache on paper
Abduction, 24 X 36 in
Forest Council, 20 X 26 in
Royal Juggler, 20 X 26 in
Ambush, 20 X 52 in
Rescue, 24 X 36 in
Royal Pedigree, 13 X 24 in
Alien Mother, 14 X 11 in
Alien Mother's Twin Sister, 14 X 11 in
Alien Father, 14 X 11 in
Octopus Love, 14 X 11 in
Birth of Alien Children, 14 X 11 in
Alien with Dragon, 36 X 24 in
Alien with Phoenix, 36 X 24 in
Alien with Kirin, 14 X 11 in
Alien with Peacock, 24 X 36 in
Melancholia, 14 X 11 in
Rabbit King, 14 X 11 in
Coming of Spring, 14 X 11 in
Dodgeball Coach, 14 X 11 in
Master at Arms, 14 X 11 in
Riding Lesson, 14 X 11 in
50 feet drawing (comprised of 20 sheets of 22 X 30 in paper) chronicling the battles between octopus-worshipping aliens and octopus-eating humans. The first and last panel can be connected seamlessly so as to create a circular narrative with no apparent beginning nor end. Gouache on paper. Photo courtesy of Chris Heins.
Panel #1
Panel #2
Panel #3
Panel #4
Panel #5
Panel #6
Panel #7
Panel #8
Panel #9
Panel #10
Panel #11
Panel #12
Panel #13
Panel #14
Panel #15
Panel #16
Panel #17
Panel #18
Panel #19
Panel #20
Installation at Richard Heller gallery, Santa Monica, CA. Photo curtesy of Alan Shaffer.
Installation at Richard Heller gallery, Santa Monica, CA. Photo curtesy of Alan Shaffer.
Installation at Massimo Carasi in Milan, Italy.
Installation at Massimo Carasi in Milan, Italy.
Installation at Massimo Carasi in Milan, Italy.
Installation at Massimo Carasi in Milan, Italy.
Installation at Massimo Carasi in Milan, Italy.
The series was inspired by the tradition of Japanese shunga (“spring picture” or erotic art) and of American pin-up culture of the mid-20th century. All works are gouache-on paper.
Spring Love #1
Gouache on paper, 24 X 36 in, 2009
Spring Love #2
Gouache on paper, 24 X 36 in, 2009
Spring Love #6
Gouache on paper, 24 X 36 in, 2009
Spring Love #7
Gouache on paper, 36 X 24 in, 2009
Spring Love #8
Gouache on paper, 24 X 36 in, 2009
All works gouache on paper
Bon Voyage #1, 36 X 48 in
Bon Voyage #2, 32 X 48 in
Bon Voyage #3, 32 X 48 in
Bon Voyage #4, 36 X 72 in
Little Red Riding Hood's Nightmare #1, 26 X 12 in
Little Red Riding Hood's Nightmare #2, 20 X 16 in
Farewell My Sweet Home, 20 X 16 in
