Kiki Joyce

My paintings investigate contemporary society through colorful and intuitive world building. I use imagery grounded in my life growing up in New York City, often referencing popular media such as comics and cartoons. Color plays an integral role in my work, often used as an instrument to direct the separation and harmony of objects, figures, and spaces. When paintings are absent of figures, colors themselves become characters that present their own suggestions. Compositions often combine elements of the interior and exterior, blending dreamlike spaces with motifs of the everyday. When figures do emerge, they are often cropped or obscured. Within this sense of nostalgic surrealism, the tension between humor and discomfort is also central to my work. My paintings engage with motifs of both national and personal identity, questioning and reflecting on their implications.