I grew up with sisters, where pivotal moments happen at sleepovers, and secrets are kept behind fuzzy pink diaries. No matter how far I’ve come as an artist, I still cling to these physical, often garishly commodified reminders of a better time.
I hope these paintings invoke a similar nostalgia for you, through the touch, look, and smell. I can feel the tiny plastic Polly Pocket doll in my hand, metaphysically inhale the uncanny vanilla-esque smell of Playdoh, or imagine my fingers running over the technicolor faux-fur of my first Furby. I also think about the thin paper of celebrity magazines and the artificially sweet taste of Fruit Stripe gum with the zebra tattoos on their crinkly wrapper.
The optimism of new friends and the undeniable allure of bubblegum pink still line my memories and canvases, though it is interesting to reflect on how certain moments can’t exist without these mass-produced items.
