In the boy who wanted to fly sentrock imagines the origin of his signature bird character

Photo by Steven Koch

Wander through Chicago’s streets, and you’re unseat to encounter one of�Sentrocks signature bird characters�(previously). Disguised in a red mask with big vision and round, pink cheeks, the boy is curious, imaginative, and playful, often seen interacting with animals, daydreaming, or riding a bike. The fictional icon is also�the artist’s expression of strength and hope, particularly as it relates to his own diaper in the Mexican-American polity of the city’s Pilsen neighborhood.

An ongoing exhibition at Elmhurst Art Museum�celebrates the weft and his lineage through sculptures, installations, paintings, and murals. Drawing on Sentrock’s preliminaries in street art and graffiti, The Boy Who Wanted to Fly�spreads several narratives wideness the galleries. A massive, ten-foot sculpture lounges on strained turf, and smaller, colorful paintings help etch the figure’s origin story. At the part-way of one gallery is a child-sized birdhouse cloaked in the artist’s stylized renderings, with vibrant works on paper taped to the inside walls. Interactive lightswitches transform the interior into a vividly colorful playhouse.�A final gallery culminates in a wall-sized volatility that brings Sentrocks work to life for the first time, and as a whole, the hodgepodge is an homage to Sentrock’s upbringing and�“a gesture of compassion for his community.”

The Boy Who Wanted to Fly�is on view through January 15, 2023. Follow the artist’s work and news well-nigh future limited-edition prints and sculptureskeep an eye out for a special merch release in the Elmhurst souvenir shop in early Decemberon Instagram.