Steve McCurry

Steve McCurry's photo journalism is like a dream- magical realism at it's best.

Frida Kahlo

Frida Kahlo is one of the most influencial female painters of the 20th century. Of her 143 paintings, 55 are self-portraits which often incorporate symbolic portrayals of physical and psychological wounds. She insisted, "I never painted dreams. I painted my own reality." Frida Kahlo is one of four daughters born to her Hungarian- Jewish father and her Mexican-indiginous mother. And was married to Mexican muralist Diego Rivera with whom she had an intensely furious and passionate relationship with.

Olaf Hajek

Olaf Hajek's work explores the opposition between imagination and reality in the context of western cultures. His pieces resemble hallucinations, folklore, and the mystical. They also call to mind Frida Kahlo,but are still strong enough to stand without that comparison.

Mastufa Maluka

I appreciate the play with color, pattern, and flatness used in Mastufa Maluka's large scale portraits. Maluka is South African born and studies in the Netherlands. It is said his pieces are supposed to represent today's stylish young men and women of indeterminate race and nationality. His colorful headshots, which resemble oversize passport or ID photos, are fictional portrayals of today’s global youth.

Scott Fife

Scott Fife uses humble materials: cardboard, glue and wood screws to create life-like portraits of famous figures. Even with their visual imperfections it puts an emphasis on the process of the how each sculpture is made.

Ron Mueck

Ron Mueck has been a favorite of mine for a while. His hyper-realistic sculpture captures every little hair to goose bump. A surprising fact that I wasn't aware of until researching her further is Paula Rego's son-in-law is Ron Mueck. It was Rego that introduced Mueck to Charles Saatchi which kicked off his career from special effects artist to world known art star.

Paula Rego

I was first told about Paula Rego while I was doing my undergrad. I remember not really taking much interest at first. But last year while I was living in Portugal I saw a majority of her work in person and I fell in love with her work and her process. The fact that she builds her sets and subjects herself I love. She is the most famous living artist to come out of Portugal though she lives in England. She was honored with her own museum Casa das Histórias in Cascais just last year and the collection is impressive.

Elizabeth Higgins O'Connor

Elizabeth Higgins O'Connor's sculptures remind me of over loved and at the same time abused dolls. They were make believe monsters I'd see in a pile of clothes as a child in the dark. There is something grotesque and diseased but also nostalgic about them. I would love to see them in person.

Me

This is an older piece of mine- I did this while I was in undergrad. I can't wait to get back in the studio and make a whole new body of work. I'm really interested to see how my work will change.

Arthur Gonzalez

Ceramic sculpture by Arthur Gonzalez, a ceramic professor I had while studying in California. I have always loved the raw experimental quality of his work.

Christina Bothwell

Christina Bothwell's work shows such amazing craft in mixing medias of both ceramic, glass, and wood. I love the old folk tale quality they all have. gorgeous.

Shary Boyle

Shary Boyle is a young Canadian artist. I love her creepily beautiful porcelain vignettes.

larytta - souvenir de chine - video directed by körner union

I love this idea... simply captivating.