Kayla Mahaffey (American/Illinois, b. 1994), "Self Destruction", 2022, polystone sculpture with acrylic visor, stamped signature, monogram, "THINKSPACE" and "PIPSTUDIO" on underside of self-base, edition of 200, published and fabricated in collaboration with Thinkspace Editions, Los Angeles and Pretty In Plastic, Hollywood, h. 13 in., w. 7 in., d. 7 in., original unopened box with embossed signature, monogram, publisher, fabricator and production date, contains signed and numbered certificate of authenticity. Note: Born and raised on the South Side of Chicago, Kayla Mahaffey took the struggle in the world around her and the support from her community to evolve a unique and personal style that imbues her work with imagination, whimsy, positivity and the narrative of her own life story. Her works are best described as a mixture of pop art and Afro-surrealism and based around her childhood memories and the safety and comfort she felt in her younger years, particularly while watching cartoons. Mahaffey?s works have a depth of meaning and universal appeal that have led to her recent meteoric rise within the art world. In the skilled hands of Mahaffey, popular culture imagery is re-purposed and re-invented. By combining immediately recognizable cartoon elements with images of Black children, she succeeds in carving out space for them, and herself, within the imaginative chaos. Her work is saturated in bubble gum and cotton candy colors and invites the viewer into the artist?s world, which is as sentimental and whimsical as it is deeply powerful. Ref.: Scott, Chadd. ?Kayla Mahaffey Explores Nostalgia in New Paintings.? See Great Art. Sept. 17, 2021. www.seegreatart.art. Accessed May 3, 2024; ?Interview with Kayla Mahaffey for ?Remember the Time.?? Sour Harvest. Sept. 21, 2021. www.sourharvest.com. Accessed May 3, 2024; Mahaffey, Kayla. ?About.? Kayla May. www.kaylamay.art. Accessed May 3, 2024.

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