being featured in an exhibit

This past week, the 16th-18th, I had my painting up in an exhibit in Project for Empty Space in Newark.   my first piece in a gallery!! The gallery was a heroin and opioid drug abuse awareness. For one of my art classes, Mrs. Krehel had us all make something to submit to the exhibit, and I luckily enough got in!

My piece is acrylic on illustration board, and it is titled "Holding on to Something That Kills Me". My main inspiration was the pop art movement, specifically the piece "I Love You With My Ford" by James Rosenquist. I was very inspired by the color scheme and the concept of panels of images. Pop art also focuses on subject matter that is relevant in society and comments on it, so I thought it to be the perfect way to portray the topic of drugs. I also liked that orange doubles as a cautionary color, warning others about the danger of drugs. The eye on the bottom right is more dull than the top left, since it is supposed to embody how heroin and opioids slowly take your life away.

It was crazy to see people going up to my piece to look at it and read my artist's statement. I tried not to stare, in fear of both looking strange and seeing others' reactions. I went with my dad, and it was fun being that pretentious for a night: An art gallery opening for a specific cause, with a cheese platter and fruit included! In the words of my dad, "if only there was a live band as well, we'd truly be living lavish." It was a cool new experience for me, and hopefully I'll get a chance to do it again.