Edition of 50, 2019, 16 x 20 in

Greg Ito’s dream-like paintings and objects reference a personal lexicon of symbols and imagery — burning candles, keyholes, windows, snakes, moons and suns through which he inhabits a state of lucid dreaming in which daily life dilates into fantasy. These repeated symbols and motifs often mine his family’s history of forced relocation to concentration camps during World War II. During their internment at the Gila River War Relocation Center in Arizona, his grandparents’ romance blossomed, offering light during dark days. Themes of time, love, loss, hope, and tragedy materialize in his flat graphic style, often portrayed via comic book style panels on canvas where pinks, purples and blues dominate his palette.