“Clash” Art Contest
April 8th, 2023 5 PM - 7 PM
418 Main St, Metuchen
"Violent Confrontation"
Artist: Hannah Vargas
Social Media: @hannah.vargas.art on Instagram
Size: 15.5” x 22”
Medium: Mixed Media
Sale Info: $230
Artwork Description: The juxtaposition of this assemblage can be described as a quest for tranquility amongst feelings of pure havoc. There is a sense of uncertainty felt by the viewer as they attempt to find balance within the piece, as does the artist. This was created from sketchbook clippings over the course of 5 years. Each clipping acts as a window into a moment where the feeling expressed was believed to be permanent. The title, Violent Confrontation, refers to the absurd paradox that specific emotional states are everlasting and often alter our concept of ‘forever’.
Artist Bio: NJ-based contemporary artist, Hannah Vargas, attempts to rationalize the human experience through mixed media. She works endlessly to establish a unique style to share her story with an audience that craves to empathize with the ambiguous feelings of simply existing. Her work features bold colors, mixed media exploration, and personified forms. She is a junior art education major at Kean University who will become a certified K-12 art teacher. Her work is currently on view at Bowery Art Collective, Metuchen NJ, as well as Hamilton Street Gallery, Bound Brook NJ in addition to the Spring 2022 edition of the online poetry journal, "Night Heron Barks".
"You're Safe Here"
Artist: Hannah Vargas
Social Media: @hannah.vargas.art on Instagram
Size: 9” x 6”
Medium: Pen
Sale Info: $115
Artwork Description: This drawing acted as a refuge for me to turn to when my thoughts began to spiral. I created a place where I can feel self-compassion when external empathy was unattainable. I tend to create these worlds filled with excitement and energy when I seem to have none at all. The nonsensical and opposing imagery within this drawing oddly fit together like a puzzle. At a time when I craved serenity, I created an amalgamation of chaos.
Artist Bio: NJ-based contemporary artist, Hannah Vargas, attempts to rationalize the human experience through mixed media. She works endlessly to establish a unique style to share her story with an audience that craves to empathize with the ambiguous feelings of simply existing. Her work features bold colors, mixed media exploration, and personified forms. She is a junior art education major at Kean University who will become a certified K-12 art teacher. Her work is currently on view at Bowery Art Collective, Metuchen NJ, as well as Hamilton Street Gallery, Bound Brook NJ in addition to the Spring 2022 edition of the online poetry journal, "Night Heron Barks".
"Covered"
Artist: Fariah Siddiqui
Social Media: @areufarreal
Size: 24” x 15”
Medium: Wood, fabric, paper
Sale Info: Not for sale
Artwork Description: This piece is about the clash in my identity that I've had with culture, religion, and sexuality. To show my culture and gender expression, I used Pakistani textiles and a binder. The textiles cover the material I used for the piece, making it appear solid and presentable.
Artist Bio: Sculpture concentration
"Exposed"
Artist: Fariah Siddiqui
Social Media: @areufarreal
Size: 24” x 15”
Medium: Wood, fabric, aluminum
Sale Info: Not for sale
Artwork Description: To show my culture and gender expression, I used Pakistani textiles and a mix of collages. The textiles don’t completely cover the material I used for the piece, and work to expose and show more vulnerability. A kind of chaos caused by clashing identities.
Artist Bio: Sculpture concentration
"Sleep Study (Pink & Green)"
Artist: Halle McNabb
Social Media: @halle.art on Instagram
Size: 11" x 14"
Medium: Oil on canvas
Sale Info: $150
Artwork Description: This smaller painting is the start of my exploration into sleeping, the unconscious brain, and the power of dreams. I paired vivid colors with busy patterns and textiles to create a space that feels contradictory to the idea of sleep, almost aligning more with the feeling of insomnia. Using textiles and color along with the human subject, I developed an environment of restless energy and depicted an inability to get restful sleep.
Artist Bio: Halle McNabb is a fine artist and graphic designer who will graduate from Mason Gross School of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in May. Her paintings of the human figure have been shown in the Undergraduate Annual Open Exhibition at Mason Gross Galleries and will be in the upcoming group show What I Want to Tell You. Working with the human figure, emotion, psychological color, and domestic interiors, Halle experiments with the formal qualities of art and the emotions they can convey.
"Untitled Sleeper (Pink & Green)"
Artist: Halle McNabb
Social Media: @halle.art on Instagram
Size: 14" x 36"
Medium: Oil on 3 canvases
Sale Info: $470
Artwork Description: Using a similar color palette to my previous study, I created a more complete painting of the human figure at rest. Inspired by Edouard Manet's composition and use of perspective in his painting "The Dead Toreador", I created my own version, this time using the position of the figure in a sleeping state.
Artist Bio: Halle McNabb is a fine artist and graphic designer who will graduate from Mason Gross School of the Arts with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in May. Her paintings of the human figure have been shown in the Undergraduate Annual Open Exhibition at Mason Gross Galleries and will be in the upcoming group show What I Want to Tell You. Working with the human figure, emotion, psychological color, and domestic interiors, Halle experiments with the formal qualities of art and the emotions they can convey.
"Golden Gate Sightseers"
Artist: Natalie Clark
Social Media: @0.51111 on Instagram
Size: 15" x 15"
Medium: Digital Illustration
Sale Info: $120
Artwork Description: By placing immaterial figures in a tangible setting, I aim to question the relationship between what is "real" and what is not. "Golden Gate Sightseers" depicts a "clash" of imagination and reality; coming together in San Francisco's all-too-famous Golden Gate Bridge.
Artist Bio: Natalie is a 17-year-old senior attending Metuchen High School. She concentrates on working with digital media but also experiments with acrylics, graphite, and printmaking. Natalie finds inspiration in music, nature, and the supernatural.
"Reclaiming my Voice"
Artist: Van Nuckols
Social Media: @vanvnv on Instagram (link to portfolio website in bio)
Size: 4096 x 5464 px
Medium: Digital Illustration
Sale Info: For sale, depending on the print size. Standard 8.5 x 11 will be $25. Any additional sizes will vary with the price.
Artwork Description: This work is intended to be a graphic novel page that tells the story of a person who has experienced sexual assault and the impact it has had on their life. The use of a narrative format, as opposed to a single image, conveys the multifaceted and ongoing effects of sexual violence. It is vital that we offer a comprehensive support system and appropriate therapy options to individuals who have survived sexual assault to address the unique challenges they may face.
Artist Bio: I am an interdisciplinary artist who combines 2D art forms that include digital illustration, painting, and photography with 3D/4D art forms such as film, sculpture, and performance, to create a truly multimedia piece. My work tackles urgent, current topics and explores the intersectionality of identity. I aim for my art to be used as a storytelling tool, giving power and a voice to those unable to do so themselves.
"Loss of Iris"
Artist: Van Nuckols
Social Media: @vanvnv on Instagram (link to portfolio website in bio)
Size: 17” x 22”
Medium: Mixed Media - Watercolor, Oil, Graphite
Sale Info: For sale, depending on the print size. Standard 8.5 x 11 will be $25. Any additional sizes will vary with the price.
Artwork Description: In this piece, I vented some of the issues many of us faced during the pandemic. This tragic time has made us feel a complete loss of control of our lives from losing our jobs to not being able to see loved ones, to simply not being able to leave our house. Thus, I represented those feelings of chaos with flowers growing sporadically out of the individual’s mouth and from their body. Furthermore, as social creatures, we constantly depend on the validation of others. The lack of human contact from the pandemic began to make us question our identity as we were left without the projections of others. The heart illustrated as a telephone showed this constant yearning for connection in times of darkness.
Artist Bio: I am an interdisciplinary artist who combines 2D art forms that include digital illustration, painting, and photography with 3D/4D art forms such as film, sculpture, and performance, to create a truly multimedia piece. My work tackles urgent, current topics and explores the intersectionality of identity. I aim for my art to be used as a storytelling tool, giving power and a voice to those unable to do so themselves.
"Tiburon"
Artist: Van Nuckols
Social Media: @vanvnv on Instagram (link to portfolio website in bio)
Size: 2048 x 2732 px
Medium: Digital Illustration
Sale Info: For sale, depending on the print size. Standard 8.5 x 11 will be $25. Any additional sizes will vary with the price.
Artwork Description: For this piece, I became inspired by The Great Wave off Kanagawa by Japanese artist Hokusai. I aimed to capture the beauty of sharks and their interaction with nature.
Artist Bio: I am an interdisciplinary artist who combines 2D art forms that include digital illustration, painting, and photography with 3D/4D art forms such as film, sculpture, and performance, to create a truly multimedia piece. My work tackles urgent, current topics and explores the intersectionality of identity. I aim for my art to be used as a storytelling tool, giving power and a voice to those unable to do so themselves.
"Pears"
Artist: Sahana Rajiv
Social Media: @ArtSonia
Size: 9” x 12”
Medium: Oil on canvas
Sale Info: $250
Artwork Description: I hope you enjoy my artwork.
Artist Bio: I am passionate about art. I love learning different mediums such as colored pencils, oils, chalk pastels, and charcoal.
"Shells"
Artist: Sahana Rajiv
Social Media: @ArtSonia
Size: 8” x 10”
Medium: Colored Pencils
Sale Info: $160
Artwork Description: I hope you enjoy my artwork.
Artist Bio: I am passionate about art. I love learning different mediums such as colored pencils, oils, chalk pastels, and charcoal.
"Love is Eternal"
Artist: Onyx Alamgir
Social Media: DeadDragonFlyDraws
Size: 18” x 24”
Medium: Acrylic paint on canvas
Sale Info: Not for sale at the moment
Artwork Description: My goal was to create the sense of ruptured space by layering contradicting, and nonsensical elements to overwhelm the viewer.
This piece was heavily inspired by the song “Exit Music for a Film” by the band Radiohead. The song is primarily about two lovers- Romeo and Juliet, committing suicide because their love cannot exist due to circumstances they have no control over.
I wanted to create an apocalyptic, world is ending like feeling. In contrast to this, there are two cockroaches kissing. The most repulsive in society’s eye committing a universal love language. Around them a bubble of colors and love surround them.
To add on to the oppressive feeling to the piece, I incorporated random time stamps, because nothing is more nerve wracking in my eyes than the passage of time. Yet the time is limitless just like the two cockroaches, and in the concept of love.
Artist Bio: I’m a 22-year-old, female, Bengali art major, with a concentration in Illustration at Stockton University. I committed to being an art major a year ago. Ever since then, I’ve been experimenting with different mediums and techniques to better myself.
"Dragonflies"
Artist: Onyx Alamgir
Social Media: DeadDragonFlyDraws
Size: 22” x 11.5”
Medium: Digital art completed in Procreate
Sale Info: Not for sale
Artwork Description: I wanted to create a piece that captures a mystical and surreal like feeling. Perhaps the feeling of longing for a better future.
As a first generation immigrant daughter, who is hiding the fact that i’m an art major from my family, this piece expresses my hope for a better future.
The fact that I have to hide a part of myself from my family, leads me to dream about living in a world where I no longer have to hide who I am. That there will always be better opportunities that will come along if one is patient and hardworking enough.
In regards to the subject matter- a girl is sinking to a dark abyss in a field, but she has not fallen yet. Above her she sees dragonflies, which are commonly a symbol of creativity and occasionally rebirth. The present may not be ideal but there is always a chance of a better tomorrow. The dragonflies clash into the girl’s world, reminding her that there is always something better waiting in the future.
Artist Bio: I’m a 22-year-old, female, Bengali art major, with a concentration in Illustration at Stockton University. I committed to being an art major a year ago. Ever since then, I’ve been experimenting with different mediums and techniques to better myself.
"Genevieve"
Artist: Sam Kasperski
Social Media: N/A
Size: 8” x 10”
Medium: Digital art
Sale Info: $360
Artwork Description: Inspiration may be hard to find, but for this piece, I didn’t have to dive deep to find it because I already knew what it was. My grandma got cancer, and passed away last year. Her name was Genevieve. She was one of the strongest people I ever knew. She didn’t let others control her life, and never strayed from the right path. One of the last things she had said to me, was to continue on my art journey and never give up on it. So, I haven’t and I never will because family is bound to clash, but that doesn’t define the love between you. They will always have your best interest in mind, and my grandma did. So I wont give up, for her.
Artist Bio: My name is Samantha, but I go by Sam. I have many hobbies, such as guitar, art, writing, and much more. I am in middle school, 7th grade to be exact. I am a semi-self taught artist and in the past had been chosen for art TAG (Talented and Gifted). I am extremely happy to be able to share my work, and see others art as well. I hope to inspire others to stick true to their passions, hopes, and dreams.
"Lost under the tree"
Artist: Isha Amaya Trotman
Social Media: @yokaimaidan at Instagram
Size: 1482 px by 2150 px
Medium: Digital art
Sale Info: $100
Artwork Description: A demon sitting under a tree in the forest. I do enjoy Autumn very munch, no other season can compare. it's not too hot nor too cold yet. The leaves begin to change and fall, and I enjoy watching. I love nature so much. it smells great around this time due to all the special edition pumpkin spice popping up each year.
Artist Bio: Hello, I'm an artist from NJ. I attend Rutgers Mason Gross and I wish to expand my art knowledge and learn how to use different mediums. I like to make my work via painting, digital art, murals, traditional art, collages, and sculpture. I'm also interested in fashion design, video games, animation, comics/manga, and a little writing. I also use charcoal, pencils, and chalk. I enjoy media that's fantasy and science fiction.
"Vampire Curse"
Artist: Isha Amaya Trotman
Social Media: @yokaimaidan at Instagram
Size: 3528 px by 6336 px
Medium: Digital art
Sale Info: $100
Artwork Description: Jasmine was born during the dark ages and was born into a noble family. She grew up spoiled and had an odd thirst for blood and violence ever sense she was small. Her parents got sick of her embarrassing the family with her scandals and crimes, so they finally forced her to go to a nunnery. Now she was now a nun, but her haughty attitude and nasty behavior caused her to piss off the wrong person. That person was Kali and was not pleased. So, she revealed her true form as an Angel and cursed jasmine to be a vampire for as long as she lived. Jasmine in her grief slaughtered the entire nunnery and went to terrorize the rest of the country. Until the king sent his men to hunt and her down. She was supposedly killed and put to rest, and then she slept for centuries until now. This is inspired by sleeping beauty and Dracula. I really enjoy drawing characters in traditional folk fashion from around the world. I really dig church architecture and stained-glass windows.
Artist Bio: Hello, I'm an artist from NJ. I attend Rutgers Mason Gross and I wish to expand my art knowledge and learn how to use different mediums. I like to make my work via painting, digital art, murals, traditional art, collages, and sculpture. I'm also interested in fashion design, video games, animation, comics/manga, and a little writing. I also use charcoal, pencils, and chalk. I enjoy media that's fantasy and science fiction.
"Memory Lane"
Artist: Coralis Rivera
Social Media: @tenthwheel
Size: 6.5” x 3.5” x 3”
Medium: Acrylic paint, plastic, permanent marker.
Sale Info: $80 Asking price
Artwork Description: This three-dimensional sculpture is a piece that encapsulates a clash of colors and eras of my life. With a meshing of contemporary colors and old-school playing toys, it speaks on the current clash of modernity’s obsession with the past. With the rise of social media and society being as connected as they have ever been, there is a yearning for vintage and the ‘retro’ ways of the past. This piece is inspired by this concept and is my take on the clashing values in our modern world.
Artist Bio: Coralis Rivera is a Brooklyn-based Puerto Rican fine artist exploring themes of identity and pop culture. Her work delves into investigating her personal experiences with internet usage, nostalgia, and growing up as a Hispanic kid in Bedford Stuyvesant's rich culture-filled community.
"Divine Rebuttal"
Artist: Denise Bui
Social Media: @04_dnb
Size: 20" x 24"
Medium: Acrylic paint
Sale Info: $350
Artwork Description: Fate is predetermined, or as what it is believed by many. Just as morals are defined differently by everyone, an eye for religion is equally open-ended. "Divine Rebuttal" defines the religious clash of beliefs presented by an angel and strings of fate, as well as an overseeing hand that has mirroring identities.
Artist Bio: Denise Bui is an aspiring graphic design student from South Plainfield High School. Her main mediums are acrylic, watercolor, and digital painting. Her artworks explore her perception of humanitarian ideas and relationships.
"Piece of Cake"
Artist: Olivia Marosi
Social Media: @oliviamarosiart
Size: 10" x 15"
Medium: Sculpture
Sale Info: Not for Sale
Artwork Description: Being the first creation in my series of gorey desserts, this was more outside of my comfort zone. I used a mix of air dry clay, floral foam, modeling paste, floral wire, spackle, and a generous amount of modge podge. I wanted a piece that would deceive those passing by. From most angles with the exception of one, this is a normal cake. It has the vibrance of blue and yellow frosting, the striking red cherries decorating the top. It looks good enough to eat, and the taste of frosting and vanilla batter come to mind. But a slice is missing. It reveals the inside for what it truly is. A bleeding, fleshy, mutilated, mess. You lose your appetite. With this piece specifically I also aimed to explore the concept of something created by human hands becoming alive. One that has interested me for some time. It bleeds the same way I do, yet I'm the one holding the knife. Did it feel pain when it was sliced? When a bite is taken? Does something made by man not in some way have a small piece of humanity in it?
Artist Bio: My name is Olivia Marosi and I’m currently a senior at Metuchen High School. I enjoy a lot of art mediums, but I mostly prefer sculpting. Gore and elements of anatomy have always been at the forefront of my work. My most recent art pieces include various desserts with some elements of gore included in them. I enjoy a wide variety of horror movies and content of the sort, which is where I tend to get a lot of my inspiration from.
"Blargh."
Artist: Devon Gregory
Social Media: @bearnaib on Instagram
Size: 15" x 12.5" x 4"
Medium: Mixed Media
Sale Info: Not for Sale
Artwork Description: So, my piece is about urbanization and the profusion of urbanization all around us. This piece was created out of plaster, paint, canvas, cardboard, and debris. Now sure you might like urban areas, I sometimes do as well, though there are a lot of negatives. Pollution, consumerism, and commercialism are bleak examples of this negativity taking over natural spaces. In my piece, nature is represented through the window of urbanization, seen through the framing angular shapes. Debris and graffiti destroy the cityscape, but nature prevails in the distance like a weed breaking through the concrete. I feel as if we need to slow down on urbanization and start working with nature more. In the end, nature endures and will prevail, although we impact it in a negative way.
Artist Bio: Hello. My name is Devon Gregory, and this is my artist bio. I am a fifteen-year-old student who enjoys creating art using mixed mediums. My pieces are an unconventional cluster of objects representing how I experience life and my feelings. I also have an affinity for cats, and you will see a randomly placed cat in each piece I create. I hope you enjoy my art!
"Grapes and Pearls"
Artist: Isha Amaya Trotman
Social Media: @yokaimaidan at Instagram
Size: 2376 px by 4200 px
Medium: Digital art
Sale Info: $100
Artwork Description: A satyr in the shade getting ready for a festival in the woods. The garden was in full bloom, and it rained petals from all kinds of flowers all over the place. The satyr decorated his horns, fur, and hair with the same flowers. He was covered head to toe with jewelry that was made from all kinds of metals and gems. He put fruits in his hair as he continued to fix his appearance for the big party.
Artist Bio: Hello, I'm an artist from NJ. I attend Rutgers Mason Gross and I wish to expand my art knowledge and learn how to use different mediums. I like to make my work via painting, digital art, murals, traditional art, collages, and sculpture. I'm also interested in fashion design, video games, animation, comics/manga, and a little writing. I also use charcoal, pencils, and chalk. I enjoy media that's fantasy and science fiction.
"The Face of Every Teenage Girl"
Artist: Valentina Cherie Hernandez
Social Media: N/A
Size: 18” x 24”
Medium: Acrylic paint on canvas
Sale Info: $230
Artwork Description: While I was making this, I was watching one of my childhood shows. (Bratz) And for some reason, the way they are animated kind of influenced the way I drew the face of the girl in my painting. The expression she has in this piece is heavily inspired by how basically every teenage girl looks 24/7. Mad and annoyed at everything, which is relatable because we all honestly have felt like that at some point. For her outfit, I picked multiple different patterns to represent the clash theme. When I was coloring the painting I tried to use colors people wouldn’t normally put together. The style I used is cartoonish but somewhat realistic. In conclusion, this piece was inspired by cartoons with a touch of realism in the face.
Artist Bio: Valentina Hernandez is 12 years old and full of passion and sarcasm. A love of portraiture, especially of women and girls, her work expresses intense emotions and feelings. She studies art at One River school in Clark, NJ. She has studied pen and ink, acrylic paints, oil paints, markers, colored pencils, water colors, gauche, and digital art. She has also been drawing for a very long time and loves getting every chance she get to show her work! Even since she was little, she always enjoyed expressing things through the joy of art.
"Cannibal Cupcake"
Artist: Olivia Marosi
Social Media: @oliviamarosiart
Size: 5" x 9"
Medium: Sculpture
Sale Info: Not for Sale
Artwork Description: Made from clay, foam, spackle, blood, sweat, and tears. Decorated with cupcake wrappers and birthday candles. Pastel colors and sparkles. Living, breathing, and feeling. Bleeding, crying, and screaming. The ripping of flesh and taste of sugar filled frosting. An unwanted surprise party. Through my creation process, these cupcakes evolved from appearing sweet and desirable to something most would find grotesque or repulsive. From simple observation, It loses its initial delectability. I also aimed to give whoever looked at this piece a feeling of uncertainty. Some cupcakes still remain untouched, but who's to say something unexpected isn't lying below the surface?
Artist Bio: My name is Olivia Marosi and I’m currently a senior at Metuchen High School. I enjoy a lot of art mediums, but I mostly prefer sculpting. Gore and elements of anatomy have always been at the forefront of my work. My most recent art pieces include various desserts with some elements of gore included in them. I enjoy a wide variety of horror movies and content of the sort, which is where I tend to get a lot of my inspiration from.
"Fungi"
Artist: Cindy Li
Social Media: @cindyx.li on Instagram
Size: 18" x 22"
Medium: Acrylic paint
Sale Info: Not for Sale
Artwork Description: This piece represents the clash between life and death through the invasion of mushrooms sprouting through the chest. Like the natural spread of mushrooms in nature, death is a natural part of life as well.
Artist Bio: High school student at Metuchen high exploring acrylic painting and other medias.