Every day I find myself maturing in ways I didn’t know possible. It’s frightening and rewarding to grow up, but what am I leaving behind? In response my work encapsulates all of childhood as bittersweet memorial for what it once was and what I want to remember it as.

It’s incredible how despite the vast ways, we all have traversed life we can create community in a collective childhood experience through food, objects, and media. At the same time, however, we have agreed upon what is deemed acceptable for certain ages. What would it be like to cling onto that fleeting childhood? How toxic and beautiful is it to not want to let go? In response, my work immortalizes the breakdown process of childhood, its grotesque cling on our lives, the way it withers as we grow, and how disturbing it really [is]. Creating these works allows me to relive my youth and enjoy being carefree, but also helps me acknowledge how I may never be able to go back to those sweet moments I took for granted.

Bugs like roaches, flies, and maggots entice me because they embody decay. There is always an internal and more personal factor that makes our beloved memories sour, paired alongside the external factors of bugs physically breaking down memories creates a conversation that I aim to interpret. I make art for the pleasure of evoking something visceral and uncovering a lost or indescribable feeling. At the same time, I encourage my audience to play and let go of responsibility like they once did as kids. My art is a pathway for all kinds of people to grasp its contents and feel a part of the work. Through my creations I continue to capture childhood as a thousand of little tastes, feelings, and sights to behold.

— Soup Russell, 2023 Martel Award Recipient