Mikey Coleman: SKIN + MASKS, KAVI GUPTA | ELIZABETH ST.

Mikey Coleman (b. 1995, USA) is a Chicago-born, Los Angeles-based oil painter whose practice centers the stories of the people he encounters in and around his neighborhood and in his everyday life.

The figures spotlighted in Coleman’s paintings tend to be representative of the people who are perceived as having a big influence in the culture—sometimes that means famous people like rappers and celebrities and TV stars, and sometimes it’s members of his personal sphere of influence, like revered family members, neighborhood characters, and friends. Coleman’s visual language is deeply influenced by the comic artists and graphic novelists he admired as a child.

“I am into how intense and action packed comics are,” Coleman says. “Those artists capture movement within moments. I mix that style into the more prestigious fine art world.”

Coleman evokes the traditions of comic art and graphic novels by choosing dynamic moments in the lives of his subjects, moments full of action where they figures are transitioning or winning. He packs his compositions full of juxtaposing narrative layers that create complex webs of symbolism and cultural meaning.

For example, his painting Whea the wild things are depicts two young men during a typical day on the block. The men are flashing stacks of cash and a firearm, showing a lot of confidence and power, but in the sky behind them a storm is gathering. The trees and grass are lush and verdant. Each man is wearing a mask. One mask is joyful; the other is serious. Their body language is playful, but something ominous is brewing.

“With this piece I want people to think about the different emotions, how they relate to each other,” Coleman says. “I want to direct the viewer’s attention to the symbolism of the masks on the young men’s faces as well as the items in their hands. The need to protect and provide for one’s family through the pain and suffering of lost loved ones while also struggling to survive living in such a wild environment, causing the young men to put on a brave face, and all smiles through times of deep sorrow.”