Description
Chicago French Fries is a mixed-media cityscape that combines a lifelong fascination with architecture and a personal experience of visiting Chicago. That fascination began in seventh grade, when learning perspective opened the door to drawing buildings and understanding how they are uniquely designed. Years later, a trip to Chicago—and a visit to the top of the Sears Tower—provided the inspiration and source material for this piece.
Using photographs taken during that visit, the artist cut out images of Chicago’s iconic skyscrapers and reassembled them into a playful and unexpected composition. The buildings are arranged to resemble a container of French fries, giving the piece its title. This transformation blends structure with imagination, turning a dense urban skyline into something whimsical and approachable.
The surface is treated with expressive, painterly strokes reminiscent of Van Gogh, adding movement and energy to the architectural forms. The work is further enhanced with mixed-media elements including beads, glitter, and glow-in-the-dark paint, creating texture and visual intrigue.
A defining feature of the piece is the Sears Tower itself, which intentionally extends beyond the frame. This choice reflects a lesson passed down from the artist’s mother—to go beyond the lines and not be confined by traditional boundaries. The result is a vibrant, layered work that celebrates creativity, memory, and the freedom to see the world from a new perspective.
