Nate Hester is interested in exploring the power of play as a form of protest. Hester’s unapologetic pop-punk, Southern gothic, magic realism mines the charming if disquieting incongruities of the places, communities and bodies to which we all yearn to belong – especially the American home – calling forth the playfulness and curiosity of his own inner child. In his newest monumental works on paper, “A Floating World,” toys, flowers, imaginary avatars, human figures, found objects, and pop culture aphorisms cavort in almost—but never fully— comprehensible ways. The language of maximalist collage is invoked to address the fragmentation and inclusive reintegration of modern living. These tableaux become the backdrop for an entire world of dolls, furniture, ceramicware, quilts, found-object lanterns and projected animations. Ultimately, in the face of the predatory aggression of the adult world, Hester creates environments and experiences where intimate sensuality and soulful tenderness prevail and proclaim that everything belongs to everything.