Santiago 2021

James Jean’s *Santiago* feels like it was made with both ink and dream. I can imagine him making it, layering these flat planes of pattern and colour, almost like he's collaging together different worlds. There’s a real tension between the flatness of the surface and the illusion of depth, a contrast I love. It's as if he's saying, "Look, it's just paint, but it's also a whole universe." It's got that graphic novel kind of vibe, with its psychedelic take on old Japanese prints, you know? Those crashing waves, the patterned whale, the kid riding the swan—it's all so playful and bizarre. That little figure looks like they are embarking on a journey—I wonder what that is like for them? I think of Yoshitomo Nara, another artist who builds his own inner worlds full of melancholy and beauty. Like Jean, these artists remind us that art is a conversation across time, inspiring each other, and inviting us to join in.