The work:CHALOM, Dollar Store Kardashians, 2022. Acrylic, oil stick and carpenters pencil on canvas, 165.5 x 125cm.Courtesy: the artist.
Dollar Store Kardashians by Victoria-based artist CHALOM is emblematic of his practice, using the tactility of oil sticks, acrylics and pencil to reflect on the flow of energy in the world around him. Taking his name from a dream in which he was spoken to by the Creator, CHALOM aims to reproduce the salient, spiritual nature of dreams and meditation through abstract mark-making. In this piece, dynamic line bursts forth from a central axis, with a flash of pink jettisoning from between darker shades of purple and black. ‘“It is an observation of the pouting and preening culture of social media,” says the artist, “not intended as a judgement, but more a tongue-in-cheek depiction of this social phenomenon.” As popular culture permeates our every waking moment, CHALOM turns to his dreams to assess what this means for our psyche. Floating in negative space, this concentrated aggregation of contours perhaps references the isolation of this kind of existence, despite projecting one’s perfect self into the online world. Soft shadows delineated in pencil suggest fragile depths behind the theatricality of vivid oils, acknowledging hidden depths behind picture perfect exteriors. CHALOM’s work allows for a plethora of interpretations.