Anna Luisa Petrisko’s “Allure of the Poppy” takes place in the California poppy fields and riffs on Southern California colors to instigate alternative spaces of heritage and belonging. Described by the artist: “The California Poppy blooms all over Los Angeles in the Spring. The electric orange flower is also known as ‘cup of gold.’ The stunning poppy fields that dot the landscapes of Southern California are a coveted subject, eliciting greed as people strive to capture the perfect shot for their digital profiles, often trampling the flowers and destroying the wildlife. The allure of the poppy allows us to contemplate the consequences of our relentless quest for perfection, and discover the healing powers that lie within this iconic flower.”

Petrisko explains, “Beautiful Sepehr, donned in her poppy-inspired dress, spends a warm Spring day amongst the poppies. She can’t resist eating their delicate petals, evoking a luscious feeling of deep rest. Poppies are not only known for their natural beauty, but they are also used to treat pain, neuralgia, anxiety, stress, depression, and migraines, and to promote sleep. As Sepehr lays down to rest in the poppies, she is camouflaged, becoming one with the poppies themselves. Humans and poppies are synchronizing in harmony; is it a hallucination? Or perhaps it’s a reminder that we can coexist with nature, embodying the soft gentleness of a poppy petal?”