L.A. Artist Delivers ‘Bad Romance’ to the Iconic Magic Box at Mondrian Los Angeles

Photo: Business Wire

The artwork, mural, and oracle cards are meant to inspire.

L.A.-based artist and designer Katie Brightside’s Bad Romance Pretty Toxic Thing redefined wallpaper collection is now on display at Le Mondrian Los Angeles hotel’s Magic Box exhibit. A new, hand-painted mural from Brightside appears at the Skybar Los Angeles entrance through November. The art display is part of Artlounge Collective’s third fine art showing at Mondrian Los Angeles.

Bad Romance is a portal to the world of imagination,” explains Brightside. “Each pretty, toxic thing is a beautiful microcosm to itself, rich with symbolism. The artwork, mural, and oracle cards are meant to inspire. They encourage others to look beyond the frightful and find beauty in life’s variety.”Bad Romance entwines lyrical illustrations with fairytale wonder to create a new world of highly imaginative artwork. In addition to redefined wallpaper art and the mural installation, Brightside created a matching oracle card and coloring book set based on the Bad Romance artworks.

The artist’s layered compositions incorporate a fine art application of design and wallpaper, reimagining pretty things that are also toxic. Mushrooms, angel’s trumpets, butterflies, and skulls combine with other beautiful but “environmentally unfriendly” flora and fauna to present a vibrant display in bold colors and metallics.

Each of the pieces in Brightside’s collection is a one-of-a-kind work of art printed on metallic wallpapers. Golds, silvers, and coppers are overlayed with contemporary pinks and turquoise, highlighting each illustration through blocked out compositions.

“You can feel the magic behind Katie’s work,” says K. Ryan Henisey, the artist and entrepreneur behind Artlounge Collective. “She has created a delicate and unique world that encourages you to explore all of its depths. Each illustration touches upon the next, creating windows into a fully developed view of the beautiful and dangerous.”

Brightside’s Bad Romance mural features recurring elements from the art display, with hummingbirds, butterflies, and flowers framing a handcuff. Local West Hollywood artists assisted with the large-scale artwork, paints sponsored by Dunn Edwards.

Brightside (@welcometothebrightside) is a local resident and recent recipient of a 2022 City of West Hollywood Public Arts Grant, among other accomplishments. Brightside’s fine art is the third production at Mondrian Los Angeles for fine art retailer and artist management firm, Artlounge Collective. Led by artist and entrepreneur K. Ryan Henisey, Artlounge Collective (@artloungecollective) now displays artwork in multiple LA-area venues that include a brand new La Brea/Beverly location, Mondrian Los Angeles, and The Artist Tree, West Hollywood.

All artworks from Bad Romance are available through Artlounge Collective.

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