100 Humans

In 2014, I began sketching my own rendition of the human figure, featuring stubborn foreheads, strong chins, and long necks. Inspiration for these ranged from neolithic cave drawings, cubism, ancient Egypt, Easter island, political cartoons, and Indiana author Kurt Vonnegut’s use of illustration as a visual companion to the narrative life. In this, I sought to create something possibly “ancient,” yet preceded by modernist moments.

The first painting of these, "Human 1", was honored at my university’s annual art show with 1st Place in 2017 by outside critics. The next painting I completed in 2022, “Eating” was featured in both the "Eaten" and "Commercial" music videos which can be found on the music tab of this website.

In February 2024, I rented a storage unit and completed an additional 8 artworks—fulfilling a dream I’ve had since 2014. (Making more paintings was the dream, not necessarily doing this in a storage unit)

Across these 10 paintings exists “100 Humans.”

As the viewer moves through the series, they may notice an increase, and then decrease, in population. Themes are centered around unique aspects of humanity, like consciousness—but also include those we share with other animals, such as societal organization.