Vampires, Cargo Pants, and Other Important Stuff

Advertising copywriter turned artist Lauren Ami has a gift for distilling millenial concerns into simple but effective oil paintings, with sardonic, caption-style messages scrawled on in marker pen.

Titled Vampires, Cargo Pants, and Other Important Stuff her debut solo show, at Gaffa Gallery from March 18-29, is a beaut. Even if this November-born writer is simply appalled at the work depicting a book cover emblazoned with “Yikes! My friend just started dating a Scorpio.” Fine.

The otherwise extremely cute, poppy works are influenced by meme culture and the snappy way this generation dissects complicated issues. One painting depicts online dating as a sushi train of heads rated maybe, no or sure – but our favourite? Probably the one that shows her advertising hand. Depicting a person wearing a blue dress and yellow clogs, it says, “An Instagram ad told me I needed clogs and I couldn’t come up with a strong enough counter argument.” Mood.

Quirky and relatable, this exhibition is exactly the fun we need in our lives right now.  

Love fun stuff? Also check out the Stencil Art Prize.