Ayin Es
Relative Strangers
Craig Krull Gallery
May 16 – July 3, 2026
Emotionally charged and bravely personal, Ayin Es’ latest solo show Relative Strangers, currently on view at Craig Krull Gallery in Santa Monica, is an exhibition that shatters photographic myth and memory. Here, the Los Angeles-raised artist has reimagined a collection of vintage family photographs (both posed and candid) into provocative paintings, more accurately emphasizing the nuanced yet painful family dynamics of a troubled upbringing.
In many of these depictions (made with oils, gauche, and watercolors), the transqueer, nonbinary artist is present as a young girl; we see evidence of their top surgery that took place many years later. A band of red stitches across the chest begs the question, “Would you have seen me more then had I these scars, or would you have shunned me further?” Feelings of neglect, misunderstanding, and passive aggression are represented all throughout the series, via direct symbolism and/or unsettling expressions and compositions.
Judgy
Intermittent Gratification, for example, offers a rare moment in which Es held the undivided attention of their mother. Although they are shown side by side, goofing off on the living room couch, there seems something disjointed about this interaction. Had the camera lingered a little longer, perhaps we’d have next witnessed this mother abruptly preoccupied with her handheld mirror, a crestfallen child to her left. Similarly, yet more overtly, A Dangerous Frisbee Cake shows a glimpse of supposed tender embrace between relatives. However, as the adult smiles nonchalantly at the camera, the young girl leans in with gaping mouth and black flowing from closed eyes. On the table before them rests a cake and a handgun.
Taken from a classic kindergarten picture, the self-portrait Sucker is anything but classic. Es portrays themselves with stark black holes in place of eye sockets, and a distorted smile ensuring their discomfort with forced poses is made palpable. If that isn’t clear enough, the title alone clues us in to the general feeling of this young child surrounding inner and outer relations. Furthermore, a patterned pink and orange background references the 70s era in which the artist grew up, while driving cognitive dissonance into full gear – a delightfully sardonic combo of saccharine and earnestness, mixed like oil and water.
Intermittent Gratification
In Judgy, Es offers a portrait of their brother with multiple eyes scattered across his face, symbolizing judgmental character. Again, it is paired with a whimsical background, nearly fooling the viewer into thinking everything is fine and dandy; that there is nothing below the surface demanding further investigation.
Sucker
Their sentimental sum far greater than their aesthetic parts, these paintings are a declaration of emotions formerly denied proper acknowledgment. Today, they stand before us, as naked and vulnerable as ever, yet no longer buried. Through them, we may recognize the sensitive yet resilient, and even humorous, qualities of the artist as they navigate complicated personal history.
Cover image: A Dangerous Frisbee Cake; all images courtesy of the artist.
