This series began as a way to process the strange emotional terrain of our current moment. Using raw cotton and linen canvas, I work with soft, moody washes of paint and mixed media to create abstract compositions that feel both atmospheric and imperfect. Some pieces are sewn-together fragments—paintings taken apart and reassembled—as a reflection of how we piece ourselves back together during uncertain times.

The title, “HOW-TO find hope at 89 seconds to midnight” is a nod to The Doomsday Clock and the uneasy feeling that everything is teetering. These paintings explore my own push and pull between being an eternal optimist and giving in to the more nihilistic undercurrents of today’s world.

I’m interested in the quiet, personal narratives that unfold when we sit with difficult feelings. Each work in this series is meant to be an open-ended reflection—a space where viewers can bring their own thoughts, worries, or hopes. They are abstract inner monologues, held lightly, without prescription.

Ultimately, this series is about trying to hold space for both despair and hope at once—and figuring out how to move forward, even if we don’t yet know the way.

-Melanie Cheung 2025