Digital artist Hayden Clay Williams will present a new group of works from his series Suburbs, in which suburban life in the U.S. is examined through a surrealist lens. Using 3D rendering software, the artist creates elaborately detailed scenes of suburban sprawl centered on bizarre arrangements of cookie-cutter houses. Channeling both the Belgian surrealist Rene Magritte and the filmmaker David Lynch, Williams’ scenes are bathed in a glaring, bright daylight that underscores the equally familiar and strange rules and rituals of modern homeownership. In the artist’s words, “I’m particularly interested in blurring the line between dreams and reality, creating sensations of strange tranquility.” The artist has noted elsewhere that there are “a lot of interesting stories to be told about the suburbs,” and his method of sharing them is by first removing all visual traces of people, pets, and cars, so that houses, yards, streets, and sidewalks become the protagonists of his narrative.

Bio

Hayden Clay is a visual artist currently living and working in Frederick, Maryland (USA). His practice centers around 3D digital art, through which he creates surreal visual worlds that blur the boundaries between dreams and reality. His imagery is marked by a clean, minimal aesthetic, where simple natural elements are transformed into poetic, otherworldly scenes.

Clay combines technical precision with emotionally resonant visual language. His use of pastel tones, soft lighting, and organic compositions evokes a meditative atmosphere. Many of his works move between utopia and dystopia, between digital simulation and the familiarity of memory. He draws inspiration from nature, childhood recollections, and everyday sensory experiences—such as the warmth of sunlight on skin or the smell of freshly cut grass.

Artist’s Reception
Saturday, May 16th
4:00 – 6:00 PM

This program is supported by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of the Office of the Governor and the New York State Legislature.