A canvas curtain slips from its place of prestige, revealing another that’s hidden beneath. The folds of a Thomas Jefferson portrait gracefully fall, and behind it we see an African woman bathing; her gaze at once determined, curious and solemn, as if she knows that she’s only just now being seen, but it’s already too late to matter.

Jay Cabalu is a contemporary artist based in Vancouver, BC, specializing in collage. His hand-cut collages are pop culture mashups of comics, fashion and celebrity culture. The resulting work is quintessential Pop Art with strong influences from Andy Warhol to Roy Lichtenstein, but coming from the perspective of a queer Filipino-Canadian immigrant.

This weekend was spent painting my art room/guest room, which we refer to as our "Dreaming Room", a lovely shade of green. This took more t...