A mixed media piece from Jenn Porreca's latest show at Distinction Gallery.

The work of San Francisco-based artist Jenn Porreca is a surreal and stunning blend of cultural iconography, religious iconography as well as her own personal narratives. With dreamlike strokes and mysterious undertones, the work of Porreca draws inspiration from many sources, both cultural and personal—from San Francisco street art and Manga to European silhouette and folklore artists of the early 1900s to the religious iconography of her own childhood. All these sources of inspiration work together in an eclectic way, breathing new life and meaning into Porreca’s forms and layers.

On Saturday, April 14, Porreca’s latest show Crossing the Divide will debut at Escondido’s Distinction Gallery in conjunction with Art Hatch. The gallery and artspace prides itself in showcasing cutting-edge works, which focus on figurative pop and urban surrealism.

The upcoming works showcased encapsulate years of Porreca’s own experiences and memories. Her mixed media works incorporate pencil, acrylic and oil and a mix of original sketches. The works themselves draw on racial and cultural divides in a fantastical, cathartic way. Whatever this “divide” is, it is one worth crossing, if only to delve deeper into Porreca’s mystical world.

“Crossing The Divide” is on view at Distinction Gallery Saturday, April 14 through Saturday, May 5, 2012.