The atmospheric compositions, tinted with a deep blue hue, give an insight into the brainfog of the artists’ fleshless alter ego: feeling estranged in the comfort of a home, longing to leave home, being captive of one's own comfort… Mackenzie’s idk depicts the dance between temporary imaginary escapes and a bleak reality, and eventually, the possibility of peace that one finds when accepting it all.

Mackenzie’s work sometimes resembles a study of homesickness (staying home, leaving home, coming back to it), with one of his main recurring subjects being the NYC skyline, symbolizing an exciting and seemingly everlasting horizon, an irrevocable hope that can always be seen from afar. With idk, Mackenzie is exploring a ‘new’ New York state of mind (cue Alicia Keys), where the skyline is sometimes nowhere to be seen, simply buried in fog. Without any horizon in sight, more questions emerge: is there something to look forward to? Does it even matter if there is? The glowing skyline sometimes resurfaces, suggesting the possibility to chase away the latent feelings brought by the pressuring anxiety of the unknown. Idk is an honest exploration of the artist’s doubts and fears that takes the viewer through a journey into their own constructed self-defense tricks.

While this new body of work explores the confines of a crushing mental and physical tête-à-tête with oneself, the artist’s sense of humor brings touches of light and lightness. This show also represents a new approach for Mackenzie in terms of scale, bringing the largest works he’s done to this day. The general composition is affected and changes the overall style, giving Mackenzie’s characters more space to grow, like a timid but certain affirmation of their own selves. 

Mackenzie Hyde (1995) is Canadian artist, originally from Vancouver and now based in Brooklyn, New York. He received a B.F.A in fine art from Parsons School of Design in 2018. With a focus in painting, the work observes frictions within modern life, as well as awkward adjustments in a rapidly evolving world. These observations are posed through a character that’s specific to each body of work. The majority of his work is done in acrylic on canvas. Recently, his work has been exhibited at Tchotchke Gallery.