A selection of paintings from artist Jason Parker (previously featured here). Originally from New Zealand but currently living in Melbourne, Australia, Parker’s work is intended to be ambiguously evocative and emotive, capturing dreamlike moments and feelings that language fails to express. His most recent work seeks to subtly express his thoughts and feelings on the state of the world.

In his latest exhibition, “Dystopian Bouquet,” Parker explores what drives our creative desires, specifically in times of strife. Touching on the sense of hope and optimism with which creativity tends to be associated — its ability to bridge divides or become a vehicle for rebirth — the series reflects on “our apparent need to invoke a creative response in times of despair, chaos, and existential threats”:

“Colourful solitary figures are a conduit of expression contrasted against their bleak dystopian-like surroundings. Found in visually dense scenes complete with strewn artifacts, floral elements, and Jason’s reoccurring pixelation are all vying for our attention much as we find our attention fragmented by the noise of our current culture.

See more images from “Dystopian Bouquet” below.