London-based painter Xue Wang illustrates surreal scenes mixed with subjects from a child's toy box. These cast of characters are not your typical wholesome bunch, though. There's something slightly dark and unsettling about Wang's works. There's a strong presence of circus themes, marionettes, porcelain dolls, and fluffy stuffed animals–all being very creepy!
Wang takes these childhood playthings and depicts them in unusual circumstances. Her paintings are like looking into the dark side of a kid's imagination. A teddy bear plays “doctor” with a pretty doll by removing her eye, to examine it in the light. Alternatively, a similarly porcelain doll-like woman dressed in a nurse's uniform is caught just after sewing two stuffed animals together.
Each frame of Wang's work has a lot to take in. The environments are rich with personality and quirks. You never know when you'll find a hidden figure lurking in the background or stumble upon the artist's signature, which is often blended into the scene.
