Prior to the conception of this exhibit, I was not well-versed in the arts, and despite my basic knowledge of art history, I failed to understand how art was perceived. Through the development of this exhibit I have not only learned, but I have developed a connection to the arts, both visual and otherwise, and reinterpreted the space in a way that was meaningful to me.

  

    Primarily, this exhibit is an investigation of chaos and disruption. All of the works shown before you are created with the very intent to unsettle and confuse the viewer, and feature a departure from the norm in one element or another. It is my belief that blunt shock is not the equivalent of uneasiness, and that although a work of art that is graphic or extreme can deliver an initial punch of horror, there is a certain cunning that comes with creating an image that lingers in the mind, something that leaves the mind devoid of reason. 

  

    The idea to do a full-fledged exhibit on chaos stemmed from much of my observation of a pre-pandemic New York City, in which people delved into abhorrently convoluted lifestyles, and contrarily led wonderfully maximalistic and overwhelmingly aspirational lives. The conclusion I have drawn from this is that chaos is double-edged, and can be used as a tool for better or for worse. The positive aspect of chaos is to enhance all aspects of a multidimensional lifestyle, encompassing hobbies and interests, and mix this without regard for organisation. In this model one is prompted to fully explore all aspects of themselves and thus create a cache of activities and clothes and restaurants and household items that portray oneself. The inverse concept is concerned with engrossing ones life with unnecessary bores and items that abjectly contribute to a lack of space and time to do things that are exciting and refreshing. Most of, if not all of these works investigate both angles to this, and thus I have entrusted the viewer with interpreting each work as they wish, as an advocacy for chaos, or a warning against it. 

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    I decided to display my works not in chronological succession or even visual similarities, but by what was being targeted by myself, and altered. For example, the work The Abdications of Morals and Sanity in the Pursuit of Wealth, (a personal favorite of mine) is focused on the use of composition to create a puzzle of sorts to the viewer, and also texture, and how it can create a dialogue between itself and the viewer to tell a story. In this instance, the story is a tragedy, something left in the deepest recessions of a sick mind and inflicted unto others in an attempt to justify a worldview. This painting is placed beside another physical work, Our Collective Ascent into Hell, that uses composition somewhat similarly to tell a story that the viewer has to earn.  

    The themes are often dark, as is life, but there is also an element of optimism embedded in many of these pieces. My earliest work, Study of Shibuya Crossing, was simply a celebration of Japanese culture, and I’ve included it because of how it has grown in tangent to the events that have unfolded over the past year or so. Now, this watercolor painting is a tribute to a collective former way of living, a piece that now represents a yearning for the chaos we collectively subjected ourselves to on a daily basis. Another example in which a similarly positive outlook is portrayed is Youth In a City of Discordance, which I placed next to Study of Shibuya Crossing to prompt comparison between the manner in which the themes are expressed. While Study of Shibuya Crossing is an unintentional reference to the chaos of daily life, Youth In a City of Discordance is a conscious ode to both the former monotony embedded into a pre-pandemic life, but also an investigation of why we insist on making life so dull when it is so wonderfully ridiculous and overwhelming.

It is my sincere hope that you enjoy the ensuing exhibition, and consider the way they are curated thematically. Embrace the disorder and spontaneity of each piece, and keep in mind the medium as well, as it oftentimes is an enhancement of whatever artistic element or quality I seeked to alter. I have also attached a moodboard with sections that correspond to each piece, in hopes that it reveals my artistic process more visually.