Connection and interaction are at the heart of Seonna Hong’s latest body of work, which positions minimally rendered figures amid abstract landscapes. Through patchy brushstrokes of acrylic and oil pastel, the Los Angeles-based artist contrasts the opaque colors of the subjects’ limbs or garments with the rough, mottled environments they occupy. Generally diminutive in comparison to their surroundings, the figures remain anonymous and adventurous, exploring ethereal expanses. Voluptuous fields of orange, large stones in pinks and reds, and mountains of haphazard markings appear like distant figments of a dream.

The works shown here are on view this week as part of Murmurations, Hong’s latest solo show at Hashimoto Contemporary in New York. Comprised of vibrant paintings and drawings in grainy colored pencil, the exhibition reflects the experience of re-emerging into public space following the pandemic. Firmly in discovery mode, the figures traverse the unearthly landscapes and tempestuous weather events and convene with each other as they form new bonds between humanity and nature.

Murmurations is on view through July 1. Find more from Hong on her site and Instagram.

“People Person” (2023), acrylic and oil pastel on canvas, diptych, 48 x 72 inches

“Quiet Day” (2023), mixed media on drywall, 23 3/4 x 23 3/4 inches

Left: “Memory Catalog” (2023), acrylic and oil pastel on canvas, 60 x 48 inches. Right: “Murmurations” (2023), acrylic and oil pastel on canvas, 60 x 48 inches

“Super Position” (2023), mixed media on wood, 8 1/2 x 11 inches

“Do You Believe In People” (2023), mixed media on wood, 8 1/2 x 11 inches

“Warm Storm” (2023), acrylic and oil pastel on wood, 10 x 8 inches

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If you’ve walked along an ocean shoreline, chances are you’ve stumbled upon the crumpled, brownish-green tendrils of kelp washed up at high tide. Despite appearances, the otherworldly seaweed is not a plant but rather a type of algae. Leaf-like forms called blades soak up sunlight to photosynthesize, and gas-filled bladders hold the structures close to the surface. Underwater, they grow in elegantly swaying forests, providing nourishment and shelter to marine wildlife. For Douglas Klug, these graceful, undulating ecosystems provide endless inspiration and surprising interactions.

Based in Santa Barbara, California, Klug is an avid scuba diver and photographer who focuses on submarine life, highlighting schools of fish and myriad textures as they interact in the rippling sunlight. Most of the kelp forests he explores are within Channel Islands National Park near where he lives. “All my diving is within what is considered ‘recreational’ limits at depths shallower than 130 feet. The water is cold, and the ocean has strong energy called surge, so the conditions can be challenging to work in,” he tells Colossal.

Klug pays attention to changes in the ecosystem, noting that “kelp forests themselves are living, thriving environments that can wax and wane with currents, water temperature, or other factors,” providing clues to the ocean’s health and the trickle-down effect for animals and humans that rely on its food sources. Not only is some of the seaweed edible, it provides safe haven and nurseries for fish, while large concentrations of the algae are powerful carbon sinks able to sequester millions of pounds of carbon dioxide. Due to the effects of the climate crisis and human inference with fragile aquatic ecosystems, the forests are suffering.

Klug shines a light on the marine world with the hope that viewers will gain understanding and appreciation for critical habitats. “I love shooting the kelp forests because it lets me highlight one of nature’s most important resources,” he says. “Kelp forests are important to all of us as they contribute to our world’s health and stability.” Along with other wildlife like seals, sea lions, and nudibranchs—a group of particularly colorful, tiny molluscs—the ocean challenges the artist to find the right conditions for lighting and exciting encounters, and to be in the right place at the right time.

Find more of Klug’s nature photography on his website and Flickr.

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Childhood naivete and nostalgia have always grounded Kayla Mahaffey’s imaginative paintings, but today, the Chicago-based artist considers what happens in the next stage of adolescence. “My previous work centered around more innocent times and how those outside influences (good or bad) interacted with us and how sometimes we remained in a state of bliss and oblivion,” she tells Colossal. “As I get older and as the children in my work grow, I want to move into a direction of awareness and ask the question, ‘When was the turning point in our lives when we started to notice the bad things, and how did this affect us?’”

This act of self-discovery and growing awareness of the broader world are shaping Mahaffey’s new works. Continuing her use of vivid color and energetic movement, the artist has toned down the cartoon details that once created daydream-like commotion for her young subjects, and she’s instead gravitating toward weightier and more ominous themes, including the tension between life and death. Dead birds and sinister snakes appear, while one figure grasps sharp clippers and another cries large, heavy tears.

“And Away We Go,” acrylic and aerosol on linen

Mahaffey has a vast archive of sketches to be translated into acrylic and aerosol, many of which reflect the nuanced stories of her native Chicago. “My work reflects how the city directly affects our youth and how they in return react when they are cared for and also when they are not,” she says, sharing that the paintings “are just the tales and experiences, filtered through my mind and put on paper.”

She works quickly, and ideas emerge freely. Once settled on a composition, she works tirelessly until the painting is complete. “I try to slow down my process at times, but it only stunts my thought process and clouds me mentally while painting, so I just do what works for me. My mind works a bit more spontaneously, and I would like to think my pieces flourish because of that,” the artist shares.

Mahaffey will release a limited-edition sculpture with Thinkspace this week, which you can find more about on Instagram.

“Glare,” acrylic and aerosol on stacked panels, 48 x 48 x 4 inches

“Chicago’s Hope”

“Retribution,” acrylic and aerosol on stacked panels, 32 x 32 x 3 inches

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Kayla Mahaffey Envisions the Self-Discovery of Adolescence Through Vibrantly Energetic Paintings in Acrylic appeared first on Colossal.