Join us for the exhibition opening reception on Thursday, January 28, 2027 from 6–8 pm.
Flowers of Destruction presents a compelling dialogue on trauma, sobriety, and the overwhelming scale of the opioid epidemic through a convergence of painting and immersive installation. Strange’s work aims to articulate the lived experience of survival, providing a necessary platform for the struggles of the seemingly invisible.
The Poppy Series serves as the thematic anchor, using the inherent beauty and deadly potential of the opium poppy—the source of opioids—as a central metaphor. These paintings explore the delicate line between life and destruction, a concept exemplified by works like "Idle Hands," where the poppy stems transform into long, grasping fingers.
This specific visual commentary illustrates how boredom and mental inactivity can become conduits for relapse, underscoring the necessity of proactive engagement in recovery. The delicacy of these botanical pieces is then immediately countered by the “Survive/Survivor” Text Paintings, a series that uses bold, confrontational text to inject an unambiguous statement of resilience and hard-won strength directly into the visual conversation.
Through the contrast between the delicate, destructive flower and the bold proclamation of survival, this exhibition confronts the darkness of addiction while honoring the hard-fought commitment to recovery.
Denotes MAC-Presented Program