Boundless: Art from the Inside

featuring the art of Chad Merrill and Cuong "Mike" Tran

"I have seen and exercised the darkest part of my nature, I've revealed and encouraged the demons of others. I know the thrill and taste of blood and have learned that the world only owns one thing worthy of fear - the darkness of self. 

Whichever direction you go -into the dark or into the light- you must master yourself. We who have the capacity to delve the darkest depths mirror that capacity in our ability to pursue the lofty throne of greatness. Because of this, darkness which leads one to hunger for the light, is the greatest of pursuits. This is my journey, I continue to climb from the realm of self-despise, and through the medium of my art, seek a liberation that only a very few can know - in the absence of pitch black darkness, light owns no meaning. 

I am the epitome of killing one's self to live where agony and bliss show themselves to be identical in the intersections of existence. That is where my art comes from and it's why tortured souls like Cobain, Cornell, Doc, X, - are most often the medium of my expression. One paints what he knows and if I know anything, I know self-torture and despise. I paint to liberate myself, to know I can create beauty as well as despair."   

Chad Merrill

Untitled Angel #3

Playing with Knives

Untitled

Cuong "Mike" Tran (b. 1980) is a first-generation Vietnamese-American. His parents immigrated to the U.S. in 1975 after their homeland was devastated by war. At age five, unable to afford store-bought toys, Mike began crafting his own action figures from paper and cardboard. Mike found that entering into an imaginary world was a way to escape his abusive environment. It was not until Covid that he began a serious self study in painting. Mike’s art has been instrumental in his healing process. It has allowed him to open to extraordinary levels of self-honesty, transcend dystopia and make reparations.

Mike currently resides in a “gated community” called “California Men’s Colony State Prison.” Despite severe restrictions, Mike’s artistry demonstrates proficiency as well as the resilience of the human spirit. Working in a 3’x11’ cell, he often transforms discarded, overlooked and inexpensive art materials into expressions (both paintings and 3 dimensional forms) with great proficiency. “By using materials often seen as ‘inferior,’ I am reclaiming my dignity.” 

In addition to being an artist, Mike is a Nationally Certified Substance Abuse Counselor.

Mindless Endeavors

Inconvenient Truth

Behind Closed Doors.

Fade

To purchase work by Chad Merrill, go here.