Artist Cathy Camille is known for her delightful paintings of clouds, showing their ephemeral beauty through delicate, detailed artwork. With NUAGE, she’s combining the fleeting nature of clouds with the timeless strength of wood. The series celebrates the juxtaposition of old and new with a set of new oil paintings surrounded by refurbished antique frames that the artist sourced across Europe.

These frames, repainted in hues that mirror the artwork, serve as a point of renewal, demonstrating the power of transformation. In some way, Camille’s clouds do the same. As viewers, we know these clouds are temporary. Soon, they’ll begin to dissolve and fade away, only to be replaced by something new. In this way, Camille’s art asks us to reflect on the cyclical nature of time and to embrace the moment while it lasts.

“With NUAGE, I want to remind us that what’s old can be reimagined, and what fades still matters,” the artist shares. “Each piece in this collection lives in that space between past and present, between what endures and what disappears. In many ways, that’s where we all live: somewhere between memory and becoming.”

The small paintings, some measuring just 6 inches by 6 inches, are filled with rich detail. Taking advantage of oil paint's ability to create light, Camille renders everything from fiery orange sunsets to delicate pink hues creeping into the afternoon sky. Each piece is a triumph, with the artist using her skills to build up clouds with realistic volume that somehow retain a light, airy feeling.

Scroll down for more images from NUAGE and stay up to date with Camille's work by following her on Instagram.

Cathy Camille is known for her delicate paintings of clouds.

Her new series of oil paintings, NUAGE, juxtaposes old and new with paintings surrounded by refurbished antique frames.

These frames, repainted in hues that reflect the artwork, serve as a point of renewal, demonstrating the power of transformation.

Taking advantage of oil paint's ability to create light, Camille renders everything from fiery orange to delicate pink hues.

Cathy Camille: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Cathy Camille.

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“La voz que se esparció entre las montañas,” 2024, oil on canvas, 59 x 59 in

In the work of artist Angel Cammen, there's much more to a self-portrait than the likeness of the painter. Born and raised in Northern Mexico, a stronghold of conservative values, Cammen's paintings are charged with a bubbling symbolism. On one hand, they are spaces of introspection, carved out by the artist himself. On the other hand, they are joyous statements that he is thriving and going to be loudly himself—whether society likes it or not.

Cammen's mother passed away when he was only eight years old. Prompted by the itch to reach out to her and tell her what he's up to, the artist often turns his canvases into missives. He encloses an image of how he looks today and also shares important news, such as moving in with a partner, or even the simple, mundane musings that cross our minds. In this way, art is the one and only communication channel with the great beyond.

For all their autobiographical load, Cammen's paintings hold space for the queer community. His compositions often serve as a mirror; whether the viewer is scared to look or loves the reflection, that's up to every individual. But they also offer acknowledgement and a beautiful, colorful space for those in need of a place to be seen, accepted, and understood.

Cammen lists Frida Kahlo and Diego Rivera as some of his main influences, tending a bridge to the past and present in Mexican art. The Kahlo effect can be seen in the head-on self-portraiture, taking up space through boastful colors and motifs that fill the composition with meaning, while the artist also channels the nonconformity battle cry of mid-century Mexican muralists.

We had a chance to talk to Cammen about his beginnings, his creative process, and the emotional core of his work. Read on for My Modern Met's exclusive interview.

“Los hombres comen chile,” 2024, oil on canvas, 39.3 x 51.2 in

How did you get started in painting?

My start in painting had to do with my fascination for color theory, but I have another explanation that I like better. When I was six or seven years old, I saw a painting in the parish of San Gregorio Magno, in my grandparents' town in Zacatecas, Mexico, and it made a great impression on me. I was very curious to know how someone could create something like that, and it is something very beautiful because 20 years later, I still have the same curiosity I had as a child. Curiosity can take you far.

“El sillón rojo,” 2023, oil on canvas, 39.3 x 39.3 in

How did you develop your personal style?

I remember hearing an interview where an artist (whose name I don't remember) said: “Repetition creates recognition”, and that idea has been fundamental for me in the last few years. It is very important to me that my work is easily recognizable. I think my self-portraits, compositions, color palette, and some elements have helped me develop my personal style.

Is there any style that you feel particularly influenced by?

Yes, I am particularly influenced by Mexican figurative painting, which manages to fuse a strong emotional charge with social, historical and cultural themes. I am inspired by artists such as Julio Galán, Frida Kahlo, Diego Rivera, to mention a few, who have used the human figure as a means of symbolic and narrative expression. I am interested in how the figurative in Mexican art transcends representation to communicate, question, and connect with identity.

“El impostor (yo no pagué por esto),” 2023, oil on canvas, 51.2 x 39.3 in

Your work seems to focus on memory, identity, and sexuality. What role do these motifs and themes play in your practice?

Yes, these themes are at the center of my work because they are fundamental axes of the human experience and also of my personal history. Memory allows me to explore the intimate, the familiar, and how the past shapes our perception of the present. Identity is a constantly changing construction, influenced by gender and emotional relationships, and I am interested in representing it from its tensions and contradictions. Sexuality is a vital, complex, and political force, not only as desire, but also as a space of vulnerability, affirmation and resistance. Together, these themes allow me to work from the autobiographical towards the collective.

“El irremediable dolor, “2024, oil on canvas, 59 x 86.6 in.

What's your creative process like?

A key part of my process is research and reading, which help me contextualize and delve deeper into the topics I address. I work with family photographic archives as a starting point, from which I find images that inspire me with ideas and emotions. I'm not interested in reproducing photographs as is; I prefer to create compositions from multiple images, like a visual collage that blends time, bodies, and gestures. This way, I construct new images.

Are the people in your paintings based on real people, or are they variations of the same character?

They usually are self-portraits, although sometimes I am joined by others. I have depicted my relationship in painting; in some other works, I have painted my mother, father, or grandmother. For me, the theme of memory is important because my mother passed away when I was eight years old, and I don't have many memories or photographs of her. Sometimes I repeat certain bodies or postures as a way of insisting on a sensation or a memory. In that sense, it could be said that they are not portraits, but constructed presences, variations of the same figure that is born from the real, but they inhabit an emotional, symbolic space, speaking of my mother.

“Mandarína,” 2024, mixed media (pastel oils on canvas), 27.5 x 27.5 in

What do you hope people will take away from your art?

I hope that those who approach my work can feel something genuine, that it awakens a memory, a forgotten emotion, a question about who they are or where they come from. I work from the intimate, from what hurts me, moves me, or makes me doubt, and I would like that honesty to be reflected in the viewer's experience. I do not seek to give answers, but to share a quest.

Courtesy of Clarisa Navarro

Angel Cammen: Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Clarisa Navarro.

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“The End of Night,” 2023 Oil, graphite, beetlewings, gold leaf on woodpanel, 55 x 90in

In the work of artist Sahana Ramakrishnan, mythology serves as a vehicle to preserve the past and a space to imagine the future. Born in Mumbai, raised in Singapore, based in New Jersey, Ramakrishnan draws from her South Asian heritage and the many cultures she has experienced throughout her life to create layered narratives in her oil paintings.

Ramakrishnan holds a painting degree from the Rhode Island School of Design; however, her artistic education began much earlier. The artist learned South Indian gold leaf and rhinestone application from her grandmother—her first foray into the pictorial traditions that have come to shape her art. On top of often adding texture to her dynamic compositions, these techniques have provided her paintings with a powerful significance.

For Ramakrishnan, art is a tool for finding her place in the world, and that of the human race, in the natural world and the spiritual realm. “I don’t trust individual mythologies or individual religions since you don’t know who’s got their hands in them,” she told Artnet, “But when there are overlaps—there must be moments of universal truth.”

Surrealist influences also permeate Ramakrishnan's work, helping her explore the blurred lines between life and death, the self and others, object and subject. This is seen in paintings such as Offering (2023), where the artist plays with seemingly disconnected motifs—plants, ocean waves, animals, jewels, hands, text—to create a layered narrative about our connection to the natural world.

“Ramakrishnan’s artwork straddles the line between the pictorial and the diagrammatic, serving both as objects of communication and as personal tools for deeper understanding of the world,” reads her artist statement. “Themes of time—expressed through mythology, physics, and evolution—are central to many of her pieces. The artist often employs symbolic representations of animals and humans to explore celestial phenomena, drawing from ancient mythologies to weave intricate visual narratives.”

Great things are in store for Ramakrishnan. She was named 2025 Artist in residence, The Arctic Circle Residency, and next year she'll be the subject of a solo exhibition at the Fridman Gallery in New York City. To stay up to date with the artist, follow Sahana Ramakrishnan on Instagram.

In the work of artist Sahana Ramakrishnan, mythology serves as a vehicle to preserve the past, but also as a space to imagine the future.

Sahana Ramakrishnan, “Offering,” 2023, Oil, graphite, rhinestones, gold leaf on canvas, 14 x 12 x 1.5in. Image courtesy of the Artist and Fridman Gallery

Ramakrishnan draws from her South Asian heritage and the many cultures she has experienced throughout her life to create layered narratives in her oil paintings.

“Song of the Naga”(detail), 2023, Oil on canvas, 76 x 120 in. Image courtesy of the Artist and Fridman Gallery

The artist learned South Indian gold leaf and rhinestone application from her grandmother—her first foray into the pictorial traditions of her ancestral home.

“Flight of the Blackbird,” 2024, Oil on canvas, 50 x 60 in. Image courtesy of the Artist and Fridman Gallery

For Ramakrishnan, art is a tool for finding her place in the world, and that of the human race, in the natural world and the spiritual realm.

“Portrait of a Tree,” 2023, Oil on stretched canvas, 80 x 65in

Surrealist influences also permeate Ramakrishnan's work, helping her explore the blurred lines between life and death, the self and others, object and subject.

“Jackal Brings a New Era,” 2023, Oil, beetle wings, graphite, seed beads, and gold leaf on wood panel, 47 ½ x 30 x 1 ½ in. Image courtesy of the Artist and Fridman Gallery

Ramakrishnan was named 2025 Artist in residence, The Arctic Circle Residency, and next year she'll be the subject of a solo exhibition at the Fridman Gallery in New York City.

“Self portrait,” 2023. Oil on canvas

Sahana Ramakrishnan: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Sahana Ramakrishnan.

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“Out of Reach.”

When she first embarked upon her solo journey across the United States, in January 2021, Michelle Jader expected to only be away for a year. San Francisco’s skies were painted orange from wildfire smoke and the COVID-19 pandemic was still raging throughout the city by the time she left. Feeling “emotionally and creatively caged,” the artist ended up on the road for two years, visiting art communities, staging pop-up photo shoots, and creating her own paintings across 36 states. Now, Jader’s travels are the focus of her latest solo exhibition at Robert Lange Studios in South Carolina.

Aptly named Untethered, the exhibition serves as a “visual diary of transformation” and “trust in the unknown,” according to Jader. It should come as no surprise, then, that the featured artwork also embodies the tension between familiarity and uncertainty. In these paintings, women float through blankets of fog; their limbs twist and bend, suspended in the air; they close their eyes so delicately they almost appear to be sleeping; and they dance, their actions captured as ghostly, overlapping traces. Each work is mysterious and otherworldly, recalling the color palettes of Edgar Degas and the energetic movement of Giacomo Balla.

“Movement is deeply honest,” Jader explains. “I’ve always been fascinated by that fleeting moment in mid-motion—when a body is airborne or suspended, and you don’t know yet how or where it will land.”

A body in mid-motion, of course, is similar to one in transit. In their hazy textures and dreamy atmospheres, Jader’s paintings remind us of the questions inherent in leaving home: where am I going? and who will I meet along the way? For Jader, that was the whole exercise behind her solo trek across the country. The paintings in Untethered address both these questions and their answers, where the artist says “fear, freedom, vulnerability, and strength all converge.”

“My paintings are often about those ‘messy middle’ moments,” she explains. “You’re no longer who you were, but not yet who you’ll become. It’s a vulnerable, in-between place, but you’re not alone.”

My Modern Met had the chance to speak with Michelle Jader about her creative process, her journey across the United States, and her new exhibition. Read on for our exclusive interview with the artist.

“Quiet Descent.”

What originally compelled you about painting as your primary medium?

Painting lets me explore emotional undercurrents in a way that feels both physical and authentic. I’m drawn to the tension between control and surrender that shows up in both life and brushwork. It’s the perfect medium for capturing that in-between state—when we’re suspended in motion, unsure of what comes next. That emotional limbo is where a lot of truth lives.

What is the process of creating one of your artworks, and how has that process evolved throughout time?

Each painting begins with movement—both literally and metaphorically. Once I have a theme I want to explore, I hire models and stage photo shoots to capture a figure in motion, selecting frames that evoke an emotional charge. I then paint different parts of that movement on separate acrylic panels, layering them to create a sense of dimensionality and time unfolding.

For Untethered, my solo show currently on view at Robert Lange Studio for the month of June, I brought AI into my process for the first time. I fed in imagery and ideas to experiment with new concepts for backgrounds. Later, I used AI tools to help turn my personal writing—journals, voice recordings, and blog posts—into companion songs for the artwork. It’s been energizing to work across media, blending traditional technique with modern tools to create an immersive experience.

“Rush of the Storm.”

Movement is a significant theme within your practice. What first intrigued you about it?

Movement is deeply honest. It reveals what we’re feeling even before we can name it. I’ve always been fascinated by that fleeting moment mid-motion—when a body is airborne or suspended, and you don’t know yet how or where it will land. That moment mirrors the emotional free fall we all experience during change. It’s where fear, freedom, vulnerability, and strength all converge.

What techniques do you rely upon to capture movement so successfully within a two-dimensional format?

My approach is built on layering. I use semi-transparent materials like acrylic or mylar and paint individual gestures or moments on separate surfaces. When stacked, they create an almost sculptural effect where the figure appears to hover or shift, depending on the viewer’s position.

I also use blurred edges, expressive brushstrokes, and sometimes a slight misalignment between layers to intensify the sense of motion. It’s about capturing not just what the body is doing—but what the person is feeling in that exact moment.

“Untethered.”

A few years ago, you traveled across the United States to discover the country’s art communities. How did that experience impact your creative practice?

That journey was everything. I left San Francisco during a time of extreme uncertainty—the sky was literally orange from wildfire smoke, the pandemic was isolating, and I felt emotionally and creatively caged. I put everything I owned in storage and hit the road, not knowing where I’d land. I just needed to move, to breathe, and create.

My one-year plan turned into a two-year journey as I crossed 36 states. It was a solo trip, and along the way, I met artists, visited different art communities, explored what it means to be alone, and redefined what “home” meant to me. I created while in motion, held pop-up photo shoots in unfamiliar places, and captured emotions I didn’t know I had until they emerged in paint. That experience shaped Untethered—not just as a body of work, but as a visual diary of transformation and trust in the unknown.

“Somewhere I'll Be.”

What do you hope people will take away from your work?

I hope viewers feel invited to pause and reflect on their own experiences with change. We all go through moments of transformation—some chosen, some forced—that can give us strength and resolve, but more often leave us disoriented or undone. My paintings are often about those “messy middle” moments, both the surrender and the struggle when you’re pushing through. You’re no longer who you were, but not yet who you’ll become. It’s a vulnerable, in-between place. You may not know the next step, and you’re certainly not in control—and that can feel terrifying.

But you’re not alone.

We all pass through that space at some point in our lives. My hope is that when someone stands in front of a painting, they feel seen and understood. That they recognize themselves in the motion, the emotion, the ambiguity—and in doing so, feel a quiet strength or a sense of connection. If someone looks and thinks, “That’s how it felt” or “I’ve been there too,” then something beautiful has happened. That moment of resonance, that shared humanity—that’s the real magic for me.

 

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A post shared by Michelle Jader (@michellejader)

Do you have any exciting projects coming up?

Yes! I’ve returned to Charleston for my June 2025 solo show Untethered at Robert Lange Studios, where this whole journey began during an Artist Residency. The exhibition features my most personal and experiential work to date—layered paintings created from the experiences of my journey and featuring AI-assisted companion songs based on my own journals from the trip.

Each painting has a QR code so viewers can listen to the song that matches the emotion and story behind the work. It’s a multisensory invitation to step inside the journey—not just mine, but maybe their own as well. Whether someone is navigating change, rediscovering themselves, or simply searching for grounding, I hope this body of work becomes a mirror. One that reflects both the vulnerability and the strength we all carry as we move through the unknown—layer by layer.

Exhibition Information
Michelle Jader
Untethered
June 2025
Robert Lange Studios
2 Queen Street, Charleston, SC 29401

Michelle Jader: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Michelle Jader.

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Like many things in nature, the sea is far from constant. One day, it can be placid and gleaming, whereas on another day, it can be volatile and severe. It’s temperamental, its moods sometimes shifting within the same hour, but that’s precisely what Scott Laurenson is drawn to.

Based in coastal Queensland, Australia, the artist has long created oil paintings of the ocean, capturing its distinct colors and contours. At times, his compositions radiate serenity, each ocean wave a translucent blue beneath a clear sky. Other times, his paintings are explosive, sea mist flying into the air as waves crash into themselves. His seascapes are as variable as the ocean itself, showcasing not only his tremendous range but his control over form and atmosphere.

“I love the tranquility that follows the storm and a remote corner of coastline on a bright summer day,” Laurenson writes. “That’s where I find my inspiration.”

These paintings are not just exercises in realism, but in texture. While working, Laurenson often employs tools other than standard paintbrushes, including palette knives, sponges, and gentle rags. A palette knife, for instance, can produce thick streaks of paint, ideal for foam, while sponges and rags can seamlessly smear colors together, resulting in a sort of gradient effect in water and sky alike.

This isn’t to say that Laurenson doesn’t manipulate paintbrushes, too. To create droplets or spraying water, the artist flicks the hairs of his paintbrush, stippling the surfaces of his paintings. For more dramatic moments at sea, he grabs a larger paintbrush and swings his arm, generating splatters almost reminiscent of Jackson Pollock’s.

To discover more about the artist, visit Scott Laurenson’s website and follow him on Instagram.

Queensland-based artist Scott Laurenson creates expressive seascapes that capture the volatility, beauty, and peacefulness of the ocean.

The artist celebrates the countless moods of the ocean, whether it be harsh and stormy, or placid and glittering.

Laurenson also incorporates techniques to create elements such as sea foam, water spray, and droplets.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Scott Laurenson (@scottlaurenson)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Scott Laurenson (@scottlaurenson)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Scott Laurenson (@scottlaurenson)

 

View this post on Instagram

 

A post shared by Scott Laurenson (@scottlaurenson)

Scott Laurenson: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Scott Laurenson.

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‘Rapture'

London-based Australian artist Ella Baudinet unifies the mind, body, and spirit through her ethereal oil paintings. The pieces combine sensibilities from multiple art movements, including abstraction, Surrealism, and realism, and are expressed through colorful, swirling compositions. Monumental in their beauty and scale, the thought-provoking works are included in Baudinet’s solo exhibition at S GALLERY in Madrid, Spain.

The collection of paintings is titled Expansion, and they emerged during a period of personal transformation for Baudinet. “Created amidst significant shifts in my life,” she tells My Modern Met, “this series became both a reflection of and a response to the process of change. The energy present while navigating these transitions was channeled into each piece, resulting in a collection that explores growth, self discovery, and the stretching of one’s limits. Each painting tells its own story, a visual representation of the emotions and revelations encountered in times of evolution.”

Every piece features elements of splendor and shape-shifting, with aesthetics that borrow from the Renaissance and Baroque periods. In The Cosmolatrist, for instance, the bottom of the composition contains trees, water, and even a snake wrapped around a branch. As our eye moves up towards the top of the painting, smoke rises from the swirling yet fractured landscape toward a night sky dotted with stars. Witnessing it all is a female figure near the side of the compoistion. She looks directly at the rising smoke as if it's destined to happen.

“As someone deeply attuned to the world around me, I often experience the process of transformation on a visceral level,” Baudinet explains. “The reshaping of reality, whether internal or external, can feel overwhelming as the body, mind, and spirit seldom adjust at the same pace. Expansion is an invitation to step beyond what we know, to embrace both the uncertainty and possibility of transformation. It is within this discomfort that new facets of the self are discovered.”

Expansion will be on view at S GALLERY from April 25, 2025.

Artist Ella Baudinet unifies the mind, body, and spirit through her ethereal oil paintings.

‘The Cosmolatrist'

‘Zenith'

The pieces combine sensibilities from multiple art movements, including abstraction, Surrealism, and realism, and are expressed through colorful, swirling compositions.

‘Demiurge'

‘Inception'

The collection of paintings is titled Expansion, and they emerged during a period of personal transformation for Baudinet.

“As someone deeply attuned to the world around me, I often experience the process of transformation on a visceral level.”

Exhibition Information:
Ella Baudinet
Expansion
April 25, 2025
S GALLERY Madrid
78 Ferraz Street, 5th Right 28008 Madrid, Spain

Ella Baudinet: Website | Instagram | Facebook

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Elaa Baudinet. 

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“Hummingbirds”

Artist Sandra Yagi has always loved science, developing a unique interest in anatomy and the human skeleton. But rather than turning it into a dark source of inspiration, Yagi has found it a vehicle for whimsy and fantasy. Her show titled The Faerie Realm at San Francisco's Modern Eden Gallery compiles her playful paintings starring a skeleton who engages in nature with a wide array of colorful creatures.

For Yagi, a human skeleton is a powerful symbol due to its association with mortality. She has long appreciated how the subtle shapes and lines of skeletal anatomy, as well as certain positions, can effectively convey emotions. Drawing from this, Yagi has turned this concept on its head by adding a seemingly simple feature. “A skeleton with butterfly wings is a powerful symbol, combining mortality with rebirth,” the artist tells My Modern Met. “It's intended to symbolize the continuing cycle of life.”

The concept behind The Faerie Realm began with an experience shared by many–the hope for a happy ending promised by the stories and movies of our youth. “Many of us had childhood visions of fairy tale worlds, informed by watching Disney movies and reading fairy tales,” the artist says. “But ultimately, a child will realize that the real world has unhappy events, imperfections, and evil characters. That is, there is no ‘everyone lived happily ever after.' There is mortality, the final part of the cycle of birth, life, death, and then rebirth from the ashes. I wanted to portray visions of a fantasy faerie world with mortality overlaid into the vision, in the form of skeletal faeries interacting with nature.”

The artist's creative process begins by simply looking at images that inspire her—from fairy tale illustrations to works of artists she admires to photos of unusual animals. “Ideas just emerge when I least expect it, and I'll often jot it down,” Yagi shares. To ensure the skeleton in her paintings is accurate, she takes photos of a cast human skeleton, using an image generated on a posing software as reference. “This helps with shading, and ensures the skeleton is true to the real thing,” Yaggi adds. “Finally, for larger involved paintings, I draw and fill in all the elements into a composition using digital painting software (Procreate). I project the image to a panel, and then the oil painting begins.”

Yagi's contemplative compositions go hand in hand with the nature of her chosen medium. “Firstly, [oil painting] takes a while to dry, so it gives me more time to work,” the artist shares. “With watercolor and gouache, I often feel rushed because of how fast the media dries. Oil painting is ideal for more detailed compositions with numerous elements. I also just enjoy how it looks when you lay it out on a palette and onto the painting surface.”

Ultimately, for all the cheerfulness of her works, the artist hopes her paintings prompt viewers to realize how amazing it is to be alive and to enjoy the beauty that nature surrounds us with. Yagi concludes, “Our time here is limited, so one should make the most of it.”

You can see The Faerie Realm at Modern Eden Gallery through May 3, 2025. To stay up to date with the artist's work, follow Sandra Yagi on Instagram.

In the playful oil paintings of Sandra Yagi, a skeleton with butterfly wings sends a message about rebirth.

“Leaf Rowboat”

Prompted by a lifelong interest in anatomy, Yagi takes the concept of the human skeleton in art and turns it in its head.

“Fireflies”

“A skeleton with butterfly wings is a powerful symbol, combining mortality with rebirth,” the artist tells My Modern Met. “It's intended to symbolize the continuing cycle of life.”

“Poison Dart Frogs”

The artist's creative process begins by simply looking at images that inspire her—from fairy tale illustrations to works of artists she admires to photos of unusual animals.

“Mushroom Dance”

To ensure the skeleton in her paintings is accurate, she takes photos of a cast human skeleton, using an image generated on a posing software as reference.

“Cat Attack 1”

The artist hopes her paintings prompt viewers to realize how amazing it is to be alive and to enjoy the beauty that nature surrounds us with.

“Cat Attack 2”

“Our time here is limited, so one should make the most of it.”

“Sea Dragon”

You can see Yagi's work at Modern Eden Gallery in San Francisco through May 3, 2025.

“Beetle Rider”

Exhibition Information:
Sandra Yagi
The Faerie Realm
March 16–May 3, 2025
Modern Eden Gallery
1100 Sutter St, San Francisco, California, USA

Sandra Yagi: Website | Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Modern Eden Gallery. Quotes have been edited for length and clarity.

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London-based artist Neil Raitt creates vibrant landscape paintings that draw viewers into surreal, utopian worlds. Each captivating composition blends mountains, jungles, rivers, and wildlife, creating psychedelic scenes that feel both familiar and dreamlike.

Raitt, now 39, has spent years shaping his unique painting style, but he’s been making art for as long as he can remember. “I used to copy all the characters and musicians from my magazines, usually gaming magazines that I would collect,” he tells My Modern Met. “My bedroom walls were filled with drawings of Crash Bandicoot, Spice Girls, and all the pop cultural figures I was surrounded by.”

Growing up, Raitt was influenced by his creative parents and developed a style that blurs the line between art and craft. He reveals, “My dad was a painter in his spare time and would paint animals, dragons, and lots of fantasy-based landscapes.” However, it wasn’t until Raitt convinced his mom to get cable TV that the young artist found someone he could really learn from.

“I remember being sick from school one day and watching Bob Ross‘ The Joy of Painting on The Discovery Channel,” he reveals. “It was a very relaxing and almost mesmerizing experience, and it kind of stuck with me.”

Raitt adds, “I eventually started painting along to these episodes much later when I was at art school in Norwich, and during my MA at The Royal College of Art it eventually found its way into my practice in the form of repetition and a tool to explore abstract painting ideas. It really opened up a lot of the underlying interests I have including the subversion of scale, collage, nature, and the boundaries between craft and fine art.”

Many of Raitt’s works from his time at The Royal College of Art are filled with repeating motifs. Some have the charm of vintage or kitsch wallpaper, while the more intricate patterns almost feel like those Magic Eye optical illusions from the '90s.

“I started to get a sense of what attracted me most to painting and that was its ability to subvert scale, reinvent histories, and weave different worlds together,” he says. “I remember making a canvas full of mountains, partly because there was an episode of The Joy Of Painting where Bob Ross says, ‘The best way to learn how to paint a mountain is to fill an entire canvas with them.’”

Raitt adds, “This was the beginning of a whole body of work as it opened up lots of questions for me about surface and abstraction and allowed me to explore lots of avenues all while having a framework I had built and internal rules that I would make and break during the process.”

Raitt deliberately alters our perception of nature, challenging expectations and inviting us to see it in a new way. His vibrant work celebrates not just nature’s beauty, but also its mystery. He explains, “More and more, through color and mark-making, my goal is to create places that are partly about what's going on the surface, the shape of a tree trunk, a familiarly alien moment in a landscape, and also a subverted sense of reality where there is a sense of wonder and the overarching power of nature.”

Check out some of the artist’s works below and find more from his portfolio by following Neil Raitt on Instagram.

London-based artist Neil Raitt creates vibrant landscape paintings that draw viewers into surreal, utopian worlds.

Each captivating composition blends mountains, jungles, rivers, and wildlife, creating psychedelic scenes that feel both familiar and dreamlike.

Neil Raitt: Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Neil Raitt.

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“Serene” (2024). Courtesy of the artist and Mariane Ibrahim

Haitian-American artist Patrick Eugène‘s oil paintings straddle the line between abstract and figurative art. They sit in an area that almost appears Post-Impressionistic on the verge of Cubism; yet, at the same time, they are decidedly contemporary. His paintings are all the more impressive when looking at his creative process, which forgoes a traditional sitter or reference image, allowing him to paint freely and spontaneously.

Now based in Atlanta, we ran into Eugène's oil paintings at Frieze Los Angeles, where he was being shown by the well-regarded Mariane Ibrahim Gallery. His rise in the art scene is especially remarkable when realizing that Eugène isn't only self-taught, but that he only started painting about 13 years ago. Drawing on his Haitian heritage and immersing himself in his creativity, he's carved out a place for his evocative paintings.

Undoubtedly, Eugène's art draws the viewer in. The figures in his work appear immersed in thought, leading us to fill in the blanks. Placed in fairly minimalist settings, the paintings allow viewers to draw their own conclusions, even placing themselves in the scene.

We were fortunate enough to have the opportunity to speak to Eugène about his striking paintings, his creative process, and how his heritage informs his work. Read on for My Modern Met's exclusive interview.

Photo: Sydney Foster. Courtesy of the artist and Mariane Ibrahim

How did your love of art begin?

I’ve always been drawn to creativity in all its forms, especially music. Growing up, I was involved in production companies, writing and producing music for artists. It was something I always did alongside my nine-to-five jobs or schooling, more of a passion than a profession at the time.

I also grew up in a home filled with art. My mother collected a lot of traditional Haitian works, so I was constantly surrounded by it, though I didn’t think much of it as a kid. It was just part of my environment. But when I turned 27, I felt the need to explore another creative avenue. That’s when I started drawing, which eventually led to painting. That’s how it all began.

“Soft Places to Land” (2024). Courtesy of the artist and Mariane Ibrahim

What pushed you toward figurative art after initially working in the abstract?

Actually, I started with figurative work while teaching myself how to paint. Like most artists, I began with what was most familiar, studying the human face, understanding symmetry, and learning how to capture a likeness. After a couple of years, as I deepened my studies and became more confident, I started loosening my approach, which eventually led me to abstraction.

Abstraction was freeing in a way that figurative work wasn’t at the time. It allowed the viewer to feel rather than be told what to see. I loved that openness. But I also knew that if I could bring that same emotional depth to figurative work, if I could make people feel something beyond just recognizing a face, then I would return to it. Now, in my newer works, I’m incorporating elements of abstraction that I learned over the years, blending them into my figurative practice.

Frieze LA 2025. Courtesy of the artist and Mariane Ibrahim

How does your Haitian heritage inform your work?

Growing up surrounded by Haitian art, I absorbed a lot of its visual language: vibrant colors, layered textures, and expressive forms. Those influences naturally made their way into my practice.

Beyond aesthetics, my heritage informs my work on a deeper level. My father is a huge music lover, so Haitian music—especially Kompa—was always playing in the house on weekends. That rhythm, that energy, is something I feel when I paint.

In 2010, after the earthquake, I began visiting Haiti regularly, and those trips broadened my perspective. Witnessing the resilience of the people, the beauty of the culture, and the layers of history gave me a stronger sense of connection. That spirit of endurance, pride, and quiet strength echoes in my work, particularly in the posture and expressions of my figures.

“The Hours Left Behind” (2024). Courtesy of the artist and Mariane Ibrahim

What led you to place your figures in minimalist settings?

It goes back to the idea of abstraction; I like to leave space for the viewer to engage with the work and create their own narrative. By stripping away unnecessary details and keeping the settings minimal, I allow the figures to exist in a place that is both specific and universal.

The ambiguity of the background invites interpretation. It can be anywhere; it can be nowhere. It allows the emotion of the piece to take center stage rather than being tied to a particular location or moment in time.

“A Thought” (2024). Courtesy of the artist and Mariane Ibrahim

Can you share a bit about your creative process?

My process is deeply meditative. I don’t use reference images or traditional sitters, not directly, at least. Instead, I let moments and impressions accumulate in my mind over time.

I work in series, starting with a general theme and then breaking it down into different moments that I want to capture. When I step into the studio, I clear my mind, play music, and just let the process unfold. I think about ancestral energy and try to tap into something beyond the physical world. My goal is to honor that presence in my work.

Frieze LA 2025. Courtesy of the artist and Mariane Ibrahim

Why do you choose to eschew traditional sitters or reference images?

For me, working without a reference keeps the process alive. When I’ve tried using reference photos, I’ve found that it can sometimes feel contrived; it loses that element of spontaneity that makes painting so engaging for me.

It’s definitely a challenge, but that’s part of the appeal. Without a photo to follow, I have to rely on memory, intuition, and emotion to guide the piece. I let the figures emerge naturally rather than forcing them to conform to a specific likeness. It keeps the work fresh and allows for more expressive, fluid storytelling.

That being said, I’m always open to evolving. Who knows, there may come a time when I bring references back into my process in a new way.

“Nightflower” (2024). Courtesy of the artist and Mariane Ibrahim

What do you hope people take away from your art?

I hope my work resonates on an emotional level, that it sparks a moment of reflection or connection. My figures are of brown skin because that’s my world, my family, and my lineage, but the themes I explore are universal.

At the core, I’m interested in capturing human emotions: solitude, resilience, introspection, joy, creativity… These are experiences we all share, regardless of background. I want my work to feel timeless, to communicate with future generations as much as it does with the present.

What’s next for you?

There’s a lot in the works: fairs, shows, new series, and some exciting collaborations I can’t speak on just yet. I’m constantly pushing my practice forward, experimenting with new ideas, and finding ways to challenge myself.

I’m excited for what’s ahead, and I’m looking forward to seeing where the journey takes me next.

Patrick Eugène: Instagram

My Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by Patrick Eugène and Marian Ibrahim.

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“Study of Reclining Lions” by Eugène Delacroix. (Photo: Eugène Delacroix via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain)

Sometimes, the greatest treasures are hidden in plain sight. This was the case for a family in France who had no idea they possessed a work by one of history’s most influential artists. During an inventory at the family property in Touraine, auctioneer Malo de Lusac discovered a previously unknown painting by the 19th-century French artist Eugène Delacroix. The original oil-on-canvas work, titled Study of Reclining Lions, had remained in the same family home for over 150 years, ever since the sale of Delacroix’s studio in 1864.

“The owners were not sure that it was a Delacroix,” De Lusac told Agence France-Presse (AFP). “When I arrived in the living room, my gaze was attracted by his magnetism. It was very moving. Delacroix’s works are seen very regularly in museums but very little in private hands.”

Delacroix was one of the leading artists of the Romanticism movement. He drew inspiration from European politics, mythology, and his travels to North Africa, bringing his scenes to life with bold colors and expressive brushstrokes that evoked raw emotion. One of his most famous works, Liberty Leading the People, depicts the July Revolution of 1830 in Paris, and is considered a defining image of the French revolution.

Delacroix also had a deep fascination with animals and spent countless hours observing them at the menagerie in Paris’ Jardin des Plantes. While he frequently sketched lions, Study of Reclining Lions is now one of few known paintings of them. The artist even studied taxidermy and attended dissections whenever he could. When one of the menagerie’s lions, Coco, died in 1829 and became available for sketching, he immediately wrote to his friend, sculptor Antoine-Louis Barye, urging him to hurry over. “The lion is dead,” Delacroix wrote. “Ride at full speed!”

The 24-by-20-inch Study of Reclining Lions piece depicts seven lions lounging, painted in rich shades of ochre and brown. Delacroix really brings out their majestic quality, with thick manes and strong, muscular bodies.

The newly discovered painting went on display at Hôtel Drouot in Paris, where it was auctioned off on March 28. It was estimated to sell for €200,000 to €300,000 (about $217,000 to $326,000), but actually wound up selling for €455,000 (about $493,955).

Sources: Un tableau inédit d'Eugène Delacroix découvert près de Tours, “Un tableau unique” d'Eugène Delacroix, estimé entre 200 000 et 300 000 euros, a été vendu 455 000 euros aux enchères à Paris

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