Only Human 2019

Kayla Mahaffey’s "Only Human," is a painting that lays down its colors and shapes with a bold freshness. The painting feels almost like a dare, blending the serious and playful in a way that demands your attention. Look at the figure’s skin—how Mahaffey uses these rich, deep browns and highlights to give it such life. It’s like she’s building up layers of emotion, not just color. Then, bam!, you have this cartoonish Astro Boy helmet plopped right on top. The dripping effect where the helmet meets the face? Genius. It’s like the fantasy is melting into reality, or maybe the other way around. The textures vary too, from smooth gradients in the skin tone to rough outlines around the cartoon figures. The little skull floating nearby, seems to ask about the bigger stuff, like identity, dreams, and the masks we wear. It reminds me a bit of what Dana Schutz does—making paintings that are puzzles, full of feeling.