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    Stan Squirewell’s Mixed-Media Collages Imbue Anonymous Historical Photos with Panache

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    “She Saw Far and Wide” (2023), mixed media, photo collage, acrylic paint, and glitter mounted on canvas in a hand-carved frame, 90 x 76 inches. All images courtesy of the artist, Claire Oliver Gallery, and Plattsburgh State Art Museum, shared with permission

    Stan Squirewell’s Mixed-Media Collages Imbue Anonymous Historical Photos with Panache

    October 16, 2025

    ArtPhotography

    Kate Mothes

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    Nothing sparks the imagination quite like coming across a trove of old photographs. We look for writing on the reverse and scan the anonymous faces to read a range of expressions. Where exactly they were at that moment, what brought them together that day, and who took the picture? For Stan Squirewell, the allure of historical portraits is a central tenet of his multimedia practice.

    In large-scale, mixed-media collages, the artist begins with black-and-white photographs, typically taken a century ago or longer. He especially emphasizes portraits of Black individuals, whether gathered together as a group or posing independently. Some of these compositions start with a formal portrait in a studio, while others have more of a snapshot quality. On their clothing, Squirewell collages fabric patterns, paint, and glitter, inviting the past into the present.

    “Awinita” (2022), mixed-media collage, paint, and hand-carved shou sugi ban frame, 59 x 45 inches

    Squirewell’s current solo exhibition, Robitussin, Hotcombs & Grease at Plattsburgh State Art Museum, delves into Black identity and daily experience. The title nods to ubiquitous items as “hallmarks of domesticity and comfort in Black homes,” the museum says, focusing on “the reclamation of identity from historical anonymity.”

    Squirewell sources photographs from the Smithsonian Institution’s anonymous photo collections and from family and friends. Through the intimate medium of the portrait, anonymous individuals emerge from the archives and are imbued with vivacious textile patterns, and recognizable luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Gucci suggest elevated style and status. Scale also plays a role, too, as Squirewell prints the photos quite large, blurring features in the process yet representing the figures closer to life-size so that their presence is palpable.

    Robitussin, Hotcombs & Grease continues through December 5. Plan your visit on the museum’s website, and find more of the artist’s work on Instagram.

    “Uncle O,” cut photograph collage mounted on canvas, oil, and glitter in hand-carved shou sugi ban frame, 62.5 x 32.5 inches

    “Colorful Joseph II” (2024), cut and collaged archival photography, glitter, and paint, 15.5 x 12.5 inches

    “Chico & Charles 3” (2025), manipulated photo-collage, 42 x 26 inches

    “Almaz & Lil Symphony”, mixed media collage, paint, and hand-carved shou sugi ban frame, 57 x 40 inches

    “Dai Dai” (2022), mixed-media collage, paint, and hand-carved shou sugi van frame, 47 x 39 inches

    “Benny & Al,” mixed media, photo collage, acrylic paint, and glitter in a hand-carved frame, 88 x 58 inches

    “He’s Home” (2024), artist-printed photos collaged with paint and glitter in a hand-carved shou sugi ban frame, 20 x 12 inches

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    • 88 Shares99 Views

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      ‘Companions’ Celebrates Our Animal Friends and Colleagues

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      Misato Sano, “なるほど！ /  Oh, I see!” (2025), camphor wood and oil paint

      ‘Companions’ Celebrates Our Animal Friends and Colleagues

      September 22, 2025

      ArtPartner

      Joy Machine

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      “Play between humans and pets, as well as simply spending time peaceably hanging out together, brings joy to all the participants. Surely that is one important meaning of companion species.” –Donna Haraway, ‘Companion Species Manifesto‘

      Companions is a group exhibition celebrating our closest animal friends and colleagues. Featuring works across media by Lola Dupre, Debra Broz, Roberto Benavidez, Misato Sano, William Mophos, and Nicolas V. Sanchez, this show revels in the ways we share our lives with non-human species.

      Debra Broz, “Horse Boxer” and “Boxer Horse” (2025), secondhand ceramic figurines and mixed media

      Each artist translates their furry and feathered subjects in a distinctively human way: Dupre and Broz distort any realistic likeness in favor of surreal, exaggerated amalgamations, while Benavidez translates a small kitten into the celebratory form of a piñata. Sano similarly gouges small pieces of camphor wood to carve a range of expressive pups, which she then paints in oils.

      Although their renderings take a more realistic approach, Sanchez and Mophos utilize substrates embedded within human life, the former gravitating toward the blank pages of a sketchbook and the latter scouring the streets of São Paulo for architectural remnants that become small jagged canvases.

      In this way, these artists present companionship as a bridge between nature and culture. They see their companions as being both of their own making–in that any relationship is influenced and created by both parties– and as independent beings with big personalities all their own.

      Companions opens on September 27, 2025. RSVP to our opening reception from 6 to 8 p.m. on Saturday.

      Roberto Benavidez, “Medieval Kitten” (2025), paper, paperboard, wire, glue, crepe paper, fallen cat whiskers, 5.5 x 6 x 3 inches

      Lola Dupre, “Geordi” (2025), paper collage, 12 x 16 inches

      William Mophos, “Tom Tom” (2025), acrylic painting on wall fragments in an acrylic frame with cement board backing, 16.6 x 21 x 7.5 centimeters

      Nicolas V. Sanchez, “Mariana with lambs” (2018), color ballpoint pen on paper, 5.5 x 10.5 inches

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      Vibrant Paper Collages by Lawrence Meju Explore Daily Life and the Human Psyche

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      “It Takes Two to Tango” (2025), paper on Brazilian hardboard, 122 x 91 centimeters. All images courtesy of Lawrence Meju, shared with permission

      Vibrant Paper Collages by Lawrence Meju Explore Daily Life and the Human Psyche

      August 13, 2025

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      “I often approach my work as a form of quiet world-building, and in many ways, I think of it as a visual journal,” says Lawrence Meju, whose distinctive and vibrant collages draw on surrealism, everyday experiences, and memories.

      The Lagos-based artist remembers working with paper collage during some of his earliest introductions to art-making in school, but it wasn’t until 2020, at the height of the pandemic when access to shops and materials was limited, that a little resourcefulness transformed into a new way of working.

      “Surreal Situation for Two I” (2023), paper, 60 x 50 centimeters

      “I found these interesting, textured papers somewhat abandoned,” Meju tells Colossal. Not necessarily a material he would have chosen off the bat, he was nevertheless motivated to make something—anything—during that time. And the challenge paid off. “I made a quick portrait of myself that leaned towards abstraction, and this was what started my body of work titled Extranormal Portraits.” More recently, his compositions have become increasingly complex and fluid, with numerous figures and symbolic items like clocks, cut flowers, and plants.

      Meju’s pieces boldly explore links between daily life, the human psyche, relationships, and perception. “I am currently engaging with themes of fragmentation, reinvention, and identity,” he says. “This engagement is also an ode to my process of creating these collages.” By simplifying the human form and other objects into layered, textured, colorful shapes, he delves into the myriad ways memories, histories, identities, and emotions overlap and inform who we are.

      “A guiding force in my work is my commitment to keeping my inner child alive, as well as the drive to create what I want to see in the world,” Meju says. “At first, carving a path outside the mainstream was uncomfortable, but leaning into that discomfort has allowed me to develop a mode of expression that feels authentic to me.”

      Meju is currently planning some sculptural works and objects that riff on the visual language of his two-dimensional pieces. If you’re in London in October, find the artist’s work at 1-54 art fair, presented by Soto Gallery, and see more on his Instagram.

      “Merry Men I” (2025), paper on Brazilian hardboard, 90 x 60 centimeters. Photo by Samuel Adedotun, Adeyemi-Adejolu

      “Self-Portrait Morning Glory” (2023), paper, 60 x 50 centimeters

      “In Full Bloom” (2024), paper on Brazilian hardboard, 122 x 91 centimeters

      “She Measures the Hours in Petals” (2025), paper on modeling board, 90 x 60 centimeters

      “Army for Two” (202), paper on Brazilian hardboard, 122 x 91 centimeters

      “What Is Left to Do” (2022), paper, 60 x 50 centimeters

      “Before the Sun Sinks Low” (2022), paper, 60 x 50 centimeters

      “Hands at Play” (2025), Giclee archival fine art paper print, 55.3 x 38.1 centimeters

      “Light Your Path” (2024), paper on paper, 60 x 50 centimeters

      “The Garden That Is Your Mind” (2025), paper on modeling board, 90 x 60 centimeters

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    • 150 Shares169 Views

      in Art

      Lisa Congdon Translates the Healing Power of Making from Collage to Painting

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      “Otherwise,” acrylic on wood panel framed in hemlock, 18 × 24 inches. All images courtesy of Chefas Projects, shared with permission

      Lisa Congdon Translates the Healing Power of Making from Collage to Painting

      July 31, 2025

      Art

      Grace Ebert

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      Late last year, as she was recovering from two knee replacements, Lisa Congdon (previously) was unable to commute to her Portland studio. Typically an avid biker, the artist found the recovery process difficult both physically and emotionally, and she began to work in a sketchbook as a way to cope and create while home. Images cut and collaged with paper filled the pages and soon became the basis for a new body of work.

      The Way Through, on view at Chefas Projects, presents 40 paintings that emerge from this period. Translating the distinctive scissor cuts to wood panel, Congdon captures the irregularities of the original paper pieces. “Ultimately, I recognized that the collection of collages was a sort of magic and decided to see what new work could be created based on their wonky, improvisational, pure form,” she says.

      “Tangerines,” acrylic on wood framed in hemlock, 12 × 9 inches

      The result is a collection of vibrant works that often feature singular objects: a blue bowl of tangerines, for example, or a thumbtack and bottle of Elmer’s glue. In each piece, Congdon transforms the mundane into a bright, colorful object of reverence and play.

      In addition to the paintings, The Way Through includes a collection of limited-edition serigraphs with the artist’s signature bold style and affirmations. If you’re in Portland, stop by to see the exhibition through August 16.

      “Outre,” acrylic on wood panel framed in hemlock, 24 × 18 inches

      Installation view of ‘The Way Through’

      Installation view of ‘The Way Through’

      “Souvenirs,” acrylic on wood framed in hemlock, 20 × 16 inches

      Installation view of ‘The Way Through’

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    • 138 Shares159 Views

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      Enigmatic Phenomena and Galactic Shapes Revolve in Shane Drinkwater’s Cosmic Systems

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      All images © Shane Drinkwater, shared with permission

      Enigmatic Phenomena and Galactic Shapes Revolve in Shane Drinkwater’s Cosmic Systems

      June 2, 2025

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      For Queensland-based artist Shane Drinkwater, self-imposed restrictions provide a key starting point for works he creates in ink, pen, acrylic, and collage—always in a square format measuring about 50 by 50 centimeters. Arrows, crosses, dots, and numbers build linear elements and patterns, while primary colors provide the foundation for the occasional green or gradient.

      Drawing on a lifelong love for maps, ciphers, and astronomical charts, Drinkwater continues to explore the possibilities of fictional cosmic networks (previously). In some pieces, concentric circles resemble diagrams of the Solar System, while in others, references to comets or esoteric systems suggest the imaginary workings of atomic phenomena or alchemical experiments.

      Drinkwater’s work was recently included in the book Elements: Chaos, Order and the Five Elemental Forces, published by Thames & Hudson. He is currently preparing work for art fairs this fall in Copenhagen and Paris, along with a group show at Gagné Contemporary in Toronto. Find more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

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    • 150 Shares159 Views

      in Art

      In ‘Passing Time,’ Seth Clark’s Jumbled Old Houses Play, Leap, and Explore

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      All images courtesy of Seth Clark and Paradigm Gallery + Studio, Philadelphia, shared with permission

      In ‘Passing Time,’ Seth Clark’s Jumbled Old Houses Play, Leap, and Explore

      June 2, 2025

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      Crumbling shingle roofs, peeling plywood, and fragmented framing characterize much of Seth Clark’s recent work, in which spheres or mounds of dilapidated houses serve as studies of texture, material, time, and neglect. In new work on view this week in his solo exhibition Passing Through at Paradigm Gallery + Studios, he’s made one mindful addition: limbs.

      The Pittsburgh-based artist’s collaged paper paintings, pastel and ink transfer drawings, and sculptures reflect his interest in the chaotic aesthetic of collapsing houses. More recently, his jumbled compositions have sprouted legs, strolling or running and adding a sense of both urgency and playfulness to the architectural forms.

      Drawing on daily observations and photographs, especially of Pittsburgh’s suburban row houses, Clark assembles references for window frames, siding, gables, roof lines, and more to emphasize various states of deterioration. Found materials and papers provide the paintings’ layered textures, which he then ages with ink washes, charcoal, graphite, pastel, and acrylic. His new works are dollhouse-like and a smidge brighter than in the past, with the addition of cheerful pinks, yellows, and purples to complement darker browns and grays.

      Clark’s anthropomorphized constructions suggest the nature of inhabiting—something akin to the soul of a place in addition to its physical makeup. The artist “attributes this change to recently becoming a father and developing an urge to instill hope into crumbling houses and broken window panes,” the gallery says. “What was first a sobering reminder of mortality has now become a message of how, even in states of chaos and decay, there can still be enough joy found in dark places to pick up the pieces and create something new.”

      Passing Through runs from June 6 to June 29 in Philadelphia. See more on the artist’s website and Instagram.

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    • 175 Shares149 Views

      in Art

      Across 92 Screens in Times Square, Yuge Zhou’s ‘Trampoline Color Exercise’ Celebrates Global Unity

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      All images © Yuge Zhou, courtesy of Times Square Arts, shared with permission

      Across 92 Screens in Times Square, Yuge Zhou’s ‘Trampoline Color Exercise’ Celebrates Global Unity

      May 27, 2025

      Art

      Kate Mothes

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      Spanning a gridded background of rectangular, pink trampolines, hundreds of gymnasts mesmerizingly flip and twist, shapeshifting as they tuck and tumble. “Trampoline Color Exercise,” a monumental digital video collage installation by Chicago-based artist Yuge Zhou, takes a bird’s-eye view of athletes at peak form while abstracting their bodies and movements into undulating ripples of color.

      Born in China, Zhou has long explored the emotional, psychological, and geographic distance between her chosen home in the Midwest and the country of her birth. Themes of separation, loyalty, and cultural contrasts undergird much of her multidisciplinary work. She initiated her series of Moon Drawings, for example, during the pandemic when she was unable to travel the long distance to to Beijing to visit family.

      For “Trampoline Color Exercise,” Zhou interrogates colors in their role as national symbols. Pulling from archival Olympics footage, she collages gymnasts wearing primary colors in a nod to global national flags, literally and figuratively fluctuating in a reflection of our ever-evolving geopolitical reality.

      “‘Trampoline Color Exercise’ was created over the past few years amid intense political and international divisions, and now it feels especially timely,” Zhou says in a statement. “At its heart, the work is a celebration of globalization and a reflection on allegiance.”

      Co-presented by Times Square Arts and artnet, the monumental work will be screened across 92 electronic billboards in the legendary New York City intersection. Part of Times Square Arts’ Midnight Moment series, the city’s largest public art program, visitors will be able to see Zhou’s three-minute work every night between June 1 and 30, starting at 11:57 p.m.

      Explore more on Zhou’s website.

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    • 113 Shares129 Views

      in Art

      Gregory Euclide Explores the Anthropocene in Verdant Mixed-Media Collages

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      “Torn Spin” (2025). All images courtesy of the artist and Hashimoto Contemporary, shared with permission

      Gregory Euclide Explores the Anthropocene in Verdant Mixed-Media Collages

      May 12, 2025

      ArtNature

      Kate Mothes

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      Smeared, flattened, and rough around the edges, Gregory Euclide’s mixed-media collages explore nature through the lens of human experience. Organically meandering outlines suggest shallow reliefs; foraged prairie botanicals complement human-made materials; and abstracted landscapes emerge from drawings, photographs, ripped paper, paint, and more.

      “The artist tears and layers these elements to build a new pictorial space which more accurately resembles the way he takes in the land,” says a gallery statement for Assembled Lands, Euclide’s solo exhibition opening later this week with Hashimoto Contemporary.

      “Torn: Double Sun” (2025)

      Breaking down his observations of nature into its fundamental parts, Euclide merges overviews of trees, shrubs, meadows, and the horizon with the intimate details of leaves or branches. One might approach his subject matter through the lens of the Anthropocene, which describes our present era of accelerating changes to the environment due to humans’ unrelenting impact.

      Each collage (previously) merges recognizable forms and terrain with abstract shapes and compositional spirals or whorls. The effect toys with perception and our understanding of relationships between flatness and depth, land and sky, and nature and ourselves.

      Assembled Lands runs from May 17 to June 14 in New York City. See more on the artist’s website.

      “Washed Up On The Beach 2” (2025)

      “Plat Map” (2025)

      “Torn: Silhouette” (2025)

      “Random Invader Memory” (2025)

      “Torn Landscape Spun” (2025)

      “Torn: Forest Silhouette” (2025)

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    • 138 Shares199 Views

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      In Vivid Reliquaries, Stan Squirewell Layers Anonymous Portraits and Patterned Textiles

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      All images courtesy of Stan Squirewell and Claire Oliver Gallery, shared with permission

      In Vivid Reliquaries, Stan Squirewell Layers Anonymous Portraits and Patterned Textiles

      March 28, 2025

      ArtPhotography

      Grace Ebert

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      Through intimate, mixed-media collages, Stan Squirewell excavates the stories of those who might otherwise be lost in anonymity. The artist gathers images from the Smithsonian’s archives and from friends and family that he then reinterprets with vibrant prints and patterns. Layering unknown pasts with present-day additions, Squirewell explores how everyday traditions and rituals remain through generations.

      His new body of work, Robitussin, Hotcombs & Grease, invokes ubiquitous items like the over-the-counter decongestant and hair care. “Growing up, I was shaped by elders around me, and everyday objects like Robitussin, hotcombs, and grease became vessels for the rituals that anchored me to my heritage,” the artist says. “These items transcend their mundane uses: they embody traditions passed down through generations, grounding me in a collective identity.”

      “Girls on Saturn” (2025)

      Squirewell cuts and collages images and fabrics from his collection before photographing the composition, which then undergoes a digital editing process. An elaborate frame complements each piece with charred shou sugi ban edges—a Japanese burning technique—and hand-carved details. The sides bear various inscriptions connecting past and present, including lines from Langston Hughes’ poems and glyphs from ancestral African languages that have fallen out of use.

      Because the identities and histories of many of the subjects are unknown, Squirewell’s work adds a new relevance to their images. How have daily, domestic practices and the legacies of previous generations informed the present? And how do these traditions create a broader collective experience? Rooted in these questions, the dignified works become reliquaries that honor what’s been passed down and how that continues to inform life today.

      Robitussin, Hotcombs & Grease is on view through May 24 at Claire Oliver Gallery in Harlem. Find more from Squirewell on Instagram.

      “Teddy” (2024), artist-printed photos collaged with paint and glitter in a hand-carved shou sugi ban frame, 43 x 35 x 3 inches

      “Teddy’s Lil Sisters” (2024), artist-printed photos collaged with paint and glitter in a hand-carved shou sugi ban frame, 29 x 24 x 2 inches

      “Girls on Saturn” (2025)

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