Sever 2020

Kayla Mahaffey made this surreal painting, "Sever," and it’s a trip! The colour palette is so vibrant; it's like a candy-coated dream. The way she uses these bright colours is like she’s not just painting an image, but building a whole world, brick by brick. Look closely at how the legs are constructed from spiralling discs. It’s playful but also kind of unsettling, right? The flatness of each individual disc makes you aware of the material. It’s paint, but it’s also shapes and forms. Then there’s that ghost like figure to the left. It’s almost cute. Those little, simple lines forming the face make you wonder what’s going on in its head. Mahaffey’s work reminds me a little bit of Elizabeth Murray, especially in the way she’s playing with form and disrupting the picture plane. It feels like a conversation between artists across generations, always building and responding to each other. It's a reminder that art isn't about fixed meanings; it's about opening up spaces for imagination and endless possibilities.