Drawing its conceptual framework from contemporary critic Dean Kissick’s writing on the “unreality” of our cultural moment, Unreality of the Present brings together four artists—Motherseth, Zayd Latib, Adam Lavigne, and Sara Akbari—whose work embraces ambiguity, intuition, and the mysterious. Rather than presenting art as an instrument for messaging or political clarity, the exhibition celebrates work that resists definition and refuses to collapse into a singular narrative.

At a time when art is often expected to “say” something—politically, socially, or culturally—Unreality of the Present creates space for art that prioritizes immediacy, imagination, and the inexplicable. The exhibition suggests that in a world saturated by overwhelming information, crisis, and contradiction, unreality may be the most honest expression of contemporary experience.

Curator Teddy Duncan Jr. writes:

“Art exists in the dimension of ambiguity—never fully resting on finality. This exhibition’s works do not simplify the world into coherent reductions; they mirror its unresolvable obscurity.”

Featured Artists

MOTHERSETH- A South Florida–based painter whose visceral, symbol-laden work draws from popular culture, religious iconography, and emotional intensity. His layered, expressive pieces aim not for perfection but for impact.

Adam Lavigne- An Orlando artist known for playful, irreverent imagery and a distinctive visual language. His work—seen in outlets such as FAD Magazine and the Orlando Sentinel—explores literalness, humor, and the absurd.

Sara Akbari- A first-generation Iranian-American artist whose drawings examine taboo, morality, and emotional instinct. Her pieces confront discomfort with wit, candor, and conceptual sharpness.

Zayd Latib- A Miami-based sculptor and carpenter whose work blends brutalist form with organic warmth. Using traditional hand-tool joinery, Latib creates furniture and sculpture charged with both spiritual and architectural intensity.

Unreality of the Present positions these four artists within what Duncan identifies as a “Dionysian” mode of creation—embracing ambiguity, instinct, and contradiction rather than clarity or didacticism. These works do not seek to inform; they seek to provoke, unsettle, and open portals to the ineffable.

Opening Reception

Date: Friday, December 12, 2025

Time: 6:00 PM – 9:00 PM

Location: Casselberry Arts Center

Admission: Free & open to the public

Visitors will have the opportunity to meet the artists, explore the exhibition, and experience an evening dedicated to contemporary art that challenges traditional expectations of meaning.

Exhibition Dates

December 12, 2025 – March 27, 2026