Nikko Washington USA, b. 1993

The various figures in this painting by Nikko Washington appear to be happily unaware of each other. Though each is lost in their own perspective, they are all surrounded by, and becoming engulfed by, the same chaotic, disjointed environment. Titled Overrun, the piece is Washington’s visual interpretation of his feelings toward the year 2022. "I make a piece contextualizing the current state of affairs every year,” Washington says. “This painting served as my therapy as I battled inflation and the hovering doom I felt, while trying to keep a joyful outlook.” The sense that the composition is being pulled in multiple different directions relates to the feeling of separation and lack of focus Washington feels when scrolling through social media to try to escape the pressure of the here and now.