Chanel Cha draws on the tradition of classical portraiture to explore the contemporary world of childhood. Her meticulously painted young subjects have a stillness and presence that recalls historical portraiture, yet everything around them belongs firmly to the present: a biker’s leather jacket, a princess’s tiara, brightly coloured sweets and contemporary clothing. These familiar objects speak to the fantasies, desires and emerging identities of childhood. An ice cream or brightly decorated doughnut may be a child’s simplest expression of wanting, but the impulse is one that follows us into adulthood, even as the objects of our desire become more complicated. By isolating her figures against spare backgrounds, Cha gives these everyday moments an unexpected sense of importance, transforming them into portraits that feel both immediate and timeless.