Hedgehog Boy, A Visual Aid Exhibition

Bay area artist Rene Capone entices the senses with the bold and theatrical. Capone creates mixed media paintings of an alternative and allegorical reality. His graphic style is inflected by Yaoi, boy on boy sex comics from Japan, and his fantastical imagery spurs mythological metaphors. Capone pushes the boundaries of traditional Japanese comics by co-writing a modern legend inspired by the series of paintings. 'The Legend of Hedgehog Boy,' soon to be published, integrates the visual and literary worlds with dynamic results. Each canvas favors homoerotic themes and a cool color palette creates an ethereal backdrop to this bizarre gay love story of sexuality and revenge.

Visual Aid is a Bay Area non-profit organization whose mission is to encourage artists with life-threatening illnesses to continue their creative work. The organization provides direct services including free art supplies, exhibition opportunities and community, while promoting dialogue around illness and art.