Most of us flinch when we see a bad bruise. Finland born, Helsinki based artist Riikka Hyvönen sees an inspiring myriad of colors that tell a story. Her art combines hyperrealism painting with sculptural elements, pop and kitsch styles, taking the pain that we have all experienced at some point and making it strangely alluring. She calls bruises “kisses”, specifically worn by roller derby girls, of which she collects photographs and then reinterprets into large-scale artworks. In roller derby, players wear their bruises like a badge of honor, which are then posted and shared online. (Hyvönen’s titles are borrowed directly from their comments, emoji’s and all.) She shares, “I believe these images are charged with mental strength. They show that the player’s bodies can take the hits yet overcome the pain and still continue to play… Obviously, I am objectifying these women totally. But I am doing it exactly the way they objectify themselves: their big and strong bums are assets and to be carried with pride.”
Cuban artist Alan Manuel Gonzalez once found it inconceivable to be showing his art outside of Cuba. He has described his paintings as the result of the inescapable circumstance of being created there. Today, censorship in Cuba is the most intense in the western hemisphere. Gonzalez relies on the use of metaphor and surrealism to express both his love for his country and disdain for its problems.
With Patricia Piccinini’s current exhibition at Arken Museum of Modern Art in Denmark, the sculptor’s hyperrealistic creations carry a surprising intimacy. Running through Sept. 8, "A World of Love" offers figures and forms across several years from the artist. She was last featured on our website 
Berlin-based American artist 
The hyper-realistic oil paintings of