24x36 in. Oil on wood (frame included)

A Taste of King Kake captures the tension between distraction and healing, a central theme of the exhibition. Serving as the title piece, the joyous face, half-obscured by thick, dripping paint, mirrors the sweetness and spectacle of Mardi Gras- moments of celebration that can both conceal and soothe deeper wounds. The smear across the eyes suggests both indulgence and blindness, asking viewers to consider how we cope with pain: by masking it or by confronting it.