This series of watercolor paintings responds to the themes of displacement and transformation in the work of Vladimir Nabokov, while also reimagining the glamorous figures of yet another Russian exiled artist of the time: Tamara de Lempicka.

I aim to subvert her iconic portraits by replacing her aristocrat subjects with modern-day workers, elevating them to the same high status once reserved for the elite.

This shift speaks to the ideals of the Russian Revolution and I hope to spotlight the dignity of laborers, connecting their value to the fame we often associate with celebrities.

watercolor and digital collage
13inx19in