This series is a deeply personal exploration of two worlds—my father’s quiet, unremarkable life and the overwhelming spectacle of Pop Culture. The word “Pop” itself holds dual meanings: a beloved father and something widely celebrated. My Pop was never famous; he was a simple railway worker with modest dreams, content in his ordinary world, far from the digital age’s obsession with instant fame.
He married late. I too took my own sweet time to come along. Hence born two generations apart, I navigate a culture driven by viral trends, where only the celebrated seem to exist. So, I began an experiment—painting my Pop into the fabric of Pop Culture, transforming his ordinary face into the icons that dominate our screens.
Is this an attempt to make my unpopular Pop famous? A satire on Pop Culture? Or just an inside joke? It’s all of these and none. Ultimately, it’s my way of honoring the most important Pop in my life, while he continues to enjoy the simple joys of his own.