Pop-Up Exhibition Recap: "Marks on the Surface: Drawing and Painting"

On Friday, May 9th, I had the honor of participating in a one-day pop-up exhibition titled Marks on the Surface: Drawing and Painting, hosted at the Grey Door Gallery and on the third floor of the School of Art building at the University of Arizona. This thoughtfully curated show was organized by a group of dedicated School of Fine Art professors and featured selected works from advanced students in the 2D program.

Poster created by the School of Fine Art for the pop-up show.

It was an inspiring afternoon filled with bold mark-making, deeply personal explorations, and a strong sense of experimentation across drawing and painting practices. I'm grateful to have shared space with so many talented peers, each pushing the boundaries of what painting and drawing can communicate.

My piece, shown for the first time at this event, "Cradle of Influence", holds a lot of meaning. The painting depicts a faceless grey adult alien speaking into a funnel, which connects to a plug embedded in the cervical spine of a colorful alien fetus floating in a protective bubble. Cradled by a vividly veined placenta, the child represents innocence and untapped identity. The work explores themes of nature vs. nurture, and how even the most seemingly sheltered beings are deeply shaped by their environments. It also reflects on how, as we grow, we are stripped of our individuality, becoming faceless, voiceless cogs in a larger, dehumanizing system.

The piece is a meditation on influence, control, and the complex, often painful process of psychological development.

Stay tuned for more updates as I continue building this body of work. I’m so excited about the direction things are taking and grateful to have shared this first glimpse with those who attended.