by David Mahlow
Sticker Collage (individual sticker pieces form the image)
11” x 14”
David Mahlow constructs his works through a painstaking and meditative process — building intricate compositions entirely from stickers, layered and arranged with extraordinary precision. The result is a tactile, mosaic-like surface that rewards close inspection, where thousands of tiny fragments coalesce into sweeping, dynamic forms. Ropes exemplifies this unique process: interlocking loops and coiling ribbons of cool blue-grey and white are punctuated by flashes of red, creating a composition that feels simultaneously structured and spontaneous — like organized chaos frozen in time.
As a self taught artist, David began creating his mosaic-style artworks at age 26. Just two years prior, he had been diagnosed with Type 2 Bipolar Disorder. While with the support of family and friends he was able learn how to embrace and navigate this life-altering condition, art soon became an important outlet for him. After initially creating collages with photographs and glue, he found that using stickers allowed for more detailed pieces. As David created meticulous art using stickers, scissors and a seam ripper needle, he would regularly find himself internally cycling through his emotions. Art creation became not simply a physical activity, but also a mental space flooded with excitement, joy and anticipation…and also questioning, criticism and shame. As David’s larger artworks may take hundreds of hours to intentionally place each individual sticker, he finds that this art process also offers an opportunity to work through complex feelings. Each tiny sticker offers a moment to appreciate, validate and redeem these self-created messages. The space between individual stickers signifies a separation. That of color and shape, but also the space between where one thought ends and another begins. In recent years, David has participated in a handful of local art competitions. He is proud to have received three first place awards at the San Diego County Fair Fine Art Competition (2017, 2022, 2023.) At age 41, David continues exploring opportunities to share his art with the San Diego community.
I use stickers to tell stories. As my artworks are typically centered around a person, I will set the scene using shapes, color and space. The aim of each art piece is to invoke a dance... a luring of the viewer towards the focal image, then a step toward the thousands of purposefully placed stickers, and finally pulling the viewer backward to breathe in my artwork as a whole.
by David Mahlow
Sticker Collage (individual sticker pieces form the image)
11” x 14”
David Mahlow constructs his works through a painstaking and meditative process — building intricate compositions entirely from stickers, layered and arranged with extraordinary precision. The result is a tactile, mosaic-like surface that rewards close inspection, where thousands of tiny fragments coalesce into sweeping, dynamic forms. Ropes exemplifies this unique process: interlocking loops and coiling ribbons of cool blue-grey and white are punctuated by flashes of red, creating a composition that feels simultaneously structured and spontaneous — like organized chaos frozen in time.
As a self taught artist, David began creating his mosaic-style artworks at age 26. Just two years prior, he had been diagnosed with Type 2 Bipolar Disorder. While with the support of family and friends he was able learn how to embrace and navigate this life-altering condition, art soon became an important outlet for him. After initially creating collages with photographs and glue, he found that using stickers allowed for more detailed pieces. As David created meticulous art using stickers, scissors and a seam ripper needle, he would regularly find himself internally cycling through his emotions. Art creation became not simply a physical activity, but also a mental space flooded with excitement, joy and anticipation…and also questioning, criticism and shame. As David’s larger artworks may take hundreds of hours to intentionally place each individual sticker, he finds that this art process also offers an opportunity to work through complex feelings. Each tiny sticker offers a moment to appreciate, validate and redeem these self-created messages. The space between individual stickers signifies a separation. That of color and shape, but also the space between where one thought ends and another begins. In recent years, David has participated in a handful of local art competitions. He is proud to have received three first place awards at the San Diego County Fair Fine Art Competition (2017, 2022, 2023.) At age 41, David continues exploring opportunities to share his art with the San Diego community.
I use stickers to tell stories. As my artworks are typically centered around a person, I will set the scene using shapes, color and space. The aim of each art piece is to invoke a dance... a luring of the viewer towards the focal image, then a step toward the thousands of purposefully placed stickers, and finally pulling the viewer backward to breathe in my artwork as a whole.
