Anthony Rondinone is an American painter born and raised in the Bronx, New York. His expressive stylistic portraits are his tool to convey the raw emotions that are common in poor immigrant communities such as his, like addiction, isolation, depression, and anger. With his works, the artist aims to encourage self-reflection and tap into the viewer's emotions, asking them to establish a personal connection with the featured characters in order to gain a deeper understanding of themselves and others. In establishing this intimate moment of confrontation, the artist shows that there is a certain beauty in sadness or even in the ugly side of humanity.

I've been using certain pop characters to portray different groups in society. Sesame Street reminds me of the Bronx, and each character has started to represent a different type of personality from where I grew up. For example, Cookie Monster is the typical addict you would pass by on the street without thinking twice, but he actually is an incredibly sad character when you stop to think about his life.