In my latest solo exhibition Are You Happy Now? I have veered away from my usual gallery work and created a show strictly with bears and characters, in collaboration with my 4-year-old son, Oliver. Why create works with a 4-year-old? Because, life is short and I selfishly wanted to make memories with him, which ultimately became most enjoyable body of work to create.
The saying “Are You Happy Now?” serves as an exhibit title with two meanings. I have become known as the teddy-bear-head-guy and many people expect me to be a one trick pony, often shocked when they see another animal head or non-figurative work in general. This show is my way of saying, “here… is this what you want to see?” a.k.a. “are you happy now?” It’s a bit of a finger in a sarcastic way. So, most of the exhibit obviously features bear heads in different forms. On the flip side, once you are a parent many people ask you, “are you happy now?”, inferring if becoming a parent brings you more joy, meaning and purpose in life. Although parenting is full of b.s. along every step, it has brought me a happiness that nothing else can bring. His happiness in experiencing the world makes me happy, and so it was a no-brainer to create a body of work with Oliver. He had a hand in every piece, from backgrounds, to doodles, to ideas. When a 4-year-old is your creative partner, things get a little funky, which made the creation of this show that much more fun and silly.
Join me on Saturday September 19th for the opening of Are You Happy Now?, on view through October 31st
Works On Paper Gallery
1611 Walnut St # B, Mezzanine Level
Philadelphia, PA 19103