“Everything is beautiful, even the ugly,” observes Sail, an artist operating under the curious handle, “Useless Arm.” His paintings are as moody as they are playful, depicting solitary figures bedecked in flowers and masks and pierced by arrows. Various cultural and literary references can be seen throughout—most notably, Asian aesthetics—but Sail’s characters are born of his imagination, the complex offspring of mythology, moral traditions, and his own subjectivity. Magical realism informs his work, allowing for a blurry fusion of material life and emotional symbolism. Visit Sail’s Instagram to follow his work.

Images © Sail (Useless Arm)