Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
12in x 12in x 1.5in, painted edges, ready-to-hang
Acrylic on canvas
From the series Under the Surface
This painting explores the tension between individuality and assimilation within modern workplace culture. Inspired by the corporate phrase “culture fit,” the piece reflects on the often unspoken pressure to perform compatibility rather than embody authenticity.
Rendered in muted Payne’s grey rather than the clownfish’s familiar bright orange, the fish appears subtly desaturated — a visual reference to the gradual softening, masking, and editing of self that can occur inside professional environments. The work questions what is actually meant by “fit” when organizations simultaneously celebrate diversity, innovation, and disruptive thinking while rewarding behavioral sameness, social comfort, and ideological alignment.
The phrase “culture fit” is frequently presented as evidence of shared values and belonging. Yet workplace culture itself can function as performance: aspirational language displayed through mission statements, leadership principles, and company values that employees are expected to embody more consistently than the institutions themselves.
Drawing from personal experiences within corporate environments, the painting reflects on the emotional labor of learning how to mirror expectations in order to succeed — speaking the right language, signaling the right attitudes, and suppressing the parts of oneself that might create friction, discomfort, or unpredictability.
Within Under the Surface, Culture Fit examines adaptation not as natural evolution, but as a survival strategy within controlled ecosystems where belonging is often conditional and authenticity can quietly become negotiable.
12in x 12in x 1.5in, painted edges, ready-to-hang
Acrylic on canvas
From the series Under the Surface
This painting explores the tension between individuality and assimilation within modern workplace culture. Inspired by the corporate phrase “culture fit,” the piece reflects on the often unspoken pressure to perform compatibility rather than embody authenticity.
Rendered in muted Payne’s grey rather than the clownfish’s familiar bright orange, the fish appears subtly desaturated — a visual reference to the gradual softening, masking, and editing of self that can occur inside professional environments. The work questions what is actually meant by “fit” when organizations simultaneously celebrate diversity, innovation, and disruptive thinking while rewarding behavioral sameness, social comfort, and ideological alignment.
The phrase “culture fit” is frequently presented as evidence of shared values and belonging. Yet workplace culture itself can function as performance: aspirational language displayed through mission statements, leadership principles, and company values that employees are expected to embody more consistently than the institutions themselves.
Drawing from personal experiences within corporate environments, the painting reflects on the emotional labor of learning how to mirror expectations in order to succeed — speaking the right language, signaling the right attitudes, and suppressing the parts of oneself that might create friction, discomfort, or unpredictability.
Within Under the Surface, Culture Fit examines adaptation not as natural evolution, but as a survival strategy within controlled ecosystems where belonging is often conditional and authenticity can quietly become negotiable.
