The Rancid Royals have the Kingdom under siege, and our friends at Candy Mountain are fighting sweet tooth and nail to escape their oppressive rule! In the latest attack, they've started melting Candy Mountain with a flurry of artificially sweetened clouds! Now the Candy Mountain crew has little time to retaliate, cause at this rate the perma-frosting won't last long... Join the revolution coming soon to Kickstarter!
Lucas Stoffel is an award-winning painter recognized by GLAAD as one of the top LGBTQ+ artists in NYC. He was featured by amFar at a benefit event for AIDS research. Stoffel’s artistic contributions earned him the Starving Artist Award, and he was showcased at AM New York’s Premiere Art Rocks event. His success extended to being featured on the cover of Next Magazine, expanding his reach and attracting a new following. Notably, Stoffel caught the attention of Ralph Lauren's daughter, who commissioned him to create a confection-inspired collection for her UES side candy shop, Dylan's Candy Bar.
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Stoffel's captivating artwork has graced the halls of esteemed venues across New York City, including the Puck Building, The Art Directors Club, The Prince George Gallery, GalleryBar, and New World Stages, among others, further cementing his position as a revered artist in the city's vibrant art scene.
The allure of Kyoto's Gion district became a unique and mysterious fascination for me as a photographer. Gion holds fame as one of the country's oldest and most renowned geisha districts. Every evening at dusk, I would position myself on a side street, hoping to capture the mesmerizing sight of these elegant women gracefully darting about like butterflies, moving from one place to another. Patiently waiting in the shadows, I aimed to capture the beauty of their kimonos and striking faces through my camera lens.
The presence of geishas in Gion traces back to ancient times when the district flourished as an entertainment hub and a center for cultural activities. Geishas played an integral role in entertaining guests at high-class teahouses, parties, and banquets, showcasing their talents through dances, musical performances, and refined conversations, enriching the events with their artistry and grace.
To Hindus, Mount Meru is believed to be located at the center of the cosmos and serves as the abode of gods and celestial beings. They often describe it as a vast cosmic mountain. The mountain is said to be so tall that it reaches the heavens and so deep that it extends deep into the netherworld. According to some legends, Mount Meru was created by the gods to serve as a pivot point, around which the sun, moon, planets, and stars revolve. It is also depicted as the dwelling place of various deities, including Lord Brahma, the creator of the universe, and other divine beings.
Taiwan is deeply spiritual and profoundly superstitious. Here, belief systems intertwine with folklore, ghosts, and ancestry. This becomes apparent when walking through the streets, where the scent of burning paper wafts through the air as locals offer paper money at temples to honor their ancestors. My project delves into Taiwan's rich heritage, including its religious symbols like Taoist temples adorned with intricate dragons, colossal Tao statues, and omnipresent Buddhas.
Made in Taiwan also explores the fading art of opera performed in hidden alleyways, the remnants of a once-mighty military state, and the aspirations for a brighter future for the younger generation, symbolized by English cram school signs. All of this unfolds against the backdrop of an ever-present street sign, a symbol of tradition in the midst of the country's transition towards a more Western way of life.
What Andy Warhol did for American pop culture, I have been striving to do for religion—particularly the symbols and iconography of Eastern traditions. Warhol redefined how we engage with the mundane by transforming everyday objects into works of art. His vision diluted the grandiosity of American exceptionalism, presenting icons of consumerism like Campbell’s soup cans and Coca-Cola bottles as universal symbols. These weren’t merely commercial items; they became cultural artifacts, accessible to everyone, regardless of class or background. His genius lay in reframing the familiar, creating a bridge between art and popular culture that reshaped global aesthetics.
In a similar vein, my work seeks to reinterpret religious iconography—primarily from Eastern traditions like Taoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism—through a lens that resonates with American culture. I aim to elevate the sacred symbols of these traditions into tactile, visual experiences that Western audiences can engage with and understand. By blending spirituality with the vibrant, accessible style of pop art, I hope to bridge cultural gaps and spark new conversations about faith, interconnectedness, and the universality of the human experience.
Religion often feels distant or untouchable in art, steeped in tradition and ritual that can alienate those outside of its immediate cultural context. My approach is to reimagine these symbols in a way that strips away some of their mystique without diminishing their profundity. For example, by portraying Hindu gods or Buddhist mandalas in bold, commercialized forms, I aim to make them feel both sacred and accessible—bridging the gap between reverence and familiarity.
Pop art has always been about accessibility, taking what is common and giving it new life. In this way, my work echoes Warhol’s ethos: to create art that speaks not only to insiders but to anyone willing to engage with it. However, where Warhol critiqued consumerism and American values, my focus is on global spirituality—connecting audiences to traditions they may never have encountered and inviting them to see the shared humanity within them.
The heart of my work lies in elevating global spirituality into a visual language that transcends borders. In today’s world, where cultural exchange happens at the speed of a swipe, art can serve as a powerful bridge between disparate traditions. By transforming the symbols of faith into something visually engaging and rooted in pop culture aesthetics, I want to challenge the perception that spirituality belongs to specific cultures or groups.
This doesn’t mean diluting the meaning of these symbols; rather, it means reframing them so they can resonate with audiences unfamiliar with their original context. For instance, my Made in Taiwan series juxtaposed Eastern religious iconography with commercial pop art to highlight the intersection of consumerism and spirituality. The goal wasn’t to critique but to connect—to show how these traditions can coexist and adapt in a globalized world.
My work is deeply personal. While my Catholic upbringing forms the foundation of my spiritual understanding, my travels through Asia have profoundly shaped my view of faith and art. The sacred spaces I’ve encountered, from Taoist temples to Buddhist monasteries, have enriched my perspective and allowed me to see the common morality that binds all faiths. This fusion of personal experience and artistic exploration drives my work, making it both a reflection of my journey and an invitation for others to embark on their own.
At its core, my work asks a simple question: Can the sacred be made accessible without losing its essence? By drawing on the bold, vibrant tactics of pop art, I believe the answer is yes. Just as Warhol reframed everyday objects into cultural icons, I aim to elevate religious symbols into modern, universal touchpoints. The goal isn’t to reduce these symbols to consumer items but to present them in a way that invites curiosity, dialogue, and perhaps even reverence from a new audience.
Ultimately, my work is about connection—connecting people to art, to faith, and to each other. In a world increasingly defined by division, I believe art has the power to remind us of the shared humanity that lies beneath the surface of all our traditions.
Does this expanded essay capture your vision? Let me know if there are areas you’d like to elaborate on further, or if you’d like examples from your portfolio woven in for depth!
