Whether on a wall or canvas, you can feel the influences of pop, graffiti culture, advertising, and both high- and low-brow art in James Reka’s work. The artist maintains both a mural and gallery practice in this sensibility, presenting the figurative in both vibrant and unexpected ways. Reka was last mentioned on cctvta.com here, and he was featured in Hi-Fructose print publication in Vol. 17.
A statement offers some insight on the factors that play into his work: “Through these origins, Reka has developed an incredibly diligent, almost obsessive attention to the technical proficiency of his work, and it has moved him towards producing ever-increasingly meticulously detailed pieces,” it says. “His art sits somewhere between humorous and menacing, contrasting the two opposing feelings in a way that is unique to his vision. These pseudo-human forms are recognisable but isolating, playful yet eerie. This is Reka’s art: a paradox between sharp design and graffiti, held together with a fuse of passion and spray paint.”
See more of his recent work below.
In Filipino artist Ronson Culibrina’s haunting yet vibrant paintings, the artist examines globalization, social issues, and more through both crowded and sparse scenes. The artist is also taking a look at art history inside his home country of the Philippines, as well injecting cross-cultural and Biblical iconography.
Berkeley painter 
The sculpted figures and paintings of Carlos Ramirez are constructed from a slew of materials and found objects. The Mexican-American artist reflects on "inequalities within Mexican-American communities and champions the common man as underdog." The artists counts among his influences: tattoo art, Oaxacan sign painting, vintage revolutionary posters, and much more.