Paintings of Utopia by Danielle Klebes that pose the question, 'Does paradise exist?'

From the Garden of Eden to Atlantis and the Fountain of Youth, utopia is ever-present in mythology and in history, but impossible in reality. Utopia is what the American artist explores and disrupts the complex and unachievable concepts of perfection and freedom.

"The main subjects for my artwork are figures captured in moments of uncertainty and isolation, close in proximity but emotionally distant," Klebes tells Creative Boom. "They are positioned in natural environments with no clear entrance or exit pathway. There is a sense of the in-between without a clear narrative regarding what comes next.

"I employ a cool, colourful, and unnatural palette to highlight disconnection and lack of intimacy. The paintings are not specifically narrative, but they include pictorial clues to the experience of the subjects."