Greg Ito's (b. 1987, Los Angeles) highly stylized, visually flat dream-like paintings present portals to an alternative world, often seen through meticulous renderings of keyholes and windows, reference a personal lexicon of symbols and imagery—burning candles,snakes, moons and suns through which he inhabits a state of lucid dreaming in which daily life dilates into fantasy. Ito, who received his BFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, has developed a signature cinematic style that combines moments of drama with a distinct, vivid color palette. These scenes often explore states of change and respond to moments of upheaval, from the ongoing climate crisis to Ito’s Japanese-American family history —specifically, his grandparents’ and great-grandparents’ internment by the U.S. government during World War II. During their internment at the Gila River War Relocation Center in Arizona, his grandparents’ romance blossomed, offering light during dark days. Themes of time, love, loss, hope, and tragedy materialise in his flat graphic style, often portrayed via comic book style panels on canvas where pinks, purples and blues dominate his palette.