Alake Shilling’s paintings and ceramic sculptures of cute animals like ladybugs and tigers reference the rainbow-colored universe of cuddly creatures that appears across the Lisa Frank brand of school and craft supplies. Shilling’s work has been exhibited at the Hammer Museum and the inaugural Felix Art Fair in 2019. Her visual vocabulary —which expresses feelings of comfort and empathy —also draws from painter Peter Saul’s perverse, psychedelic Pop art , and from disco album covers and California Funk aesthetics. Shilling strives to realize her youthful dream of living among a cast of animal characters that soothe their human companions, accepting them despite their flaws.