Abner Krill embodies a tragedy not of his making but of a legacy thrust upon him by a mother’s relentless ambition. Her obsession, veiled under the guise of love, sought not wealth or fame for herself but a place among Gotham's pantheon, with her son as the unwilling centerpiece of her aspirations.

Seated in the quiet aftermath of his own tumult, Abner contemplates the journey that led him here—a path he never chose for himself. The experimental treatments, whispered promises of greatness from a lab too rudimentary and desperate to be a birthplace for heroes, marked not just the beginning of his descent but the stripping away of his agency. Each polka dot, a grotesque testament to his fractured essence, mirrors the scars left by a love that imposed its will, recognizing no boundaries, nor acknowledging his dissent.

His mother’s fervor, rivaling that of Gotham’s most fanatical, saw not the boy before her but only the hero he could become. The line between nurturing and exploitation blurred, echoing a troubling reality in today’s world: parents who see their children not as individuals to guide but as vessels for their own aspirations. From dance competitions to viral TikTok fame, from youth sports to child pageantry, the stories are countless—and heartbreaking—of children thrust into the harsh glare of the spotlight for the fleeting applause of the masses.

Abner’s transformation into the Polka-Dot Man mirrors the exploitation of children in the age of social media, where a parent’s desire for validation and notoriety too often overshadows their child’s autonomy. Like Abner, these children are prodded and shaped, their innocence exchanged for clicks and likes, their futures dictated by someone else’s dreams. And like his polka dots, their fame may one day stand as a haunting reminder of what was taken from them.

In Gotham, where every shadow has a story, Abner’s tale is a cautionary one: the dangerous alchemy of love and ambition, the perilous edge where good intentions mutate into something monstrous. And beyond Gotham’s borders, his story reverberates in our own world—a warning against the price of ambition when paid with the currency of a child’s innocence.

How many Abners must the world create before it sees the cost of turning childhood into a stage and love into a tool of exploitation? In the tragic figure of the Polka-Dot Man, we find a reflection of our own uncomfortable truths—and a call to break the cycle before more stories are written in scars.

Creative writing credit: Hattie Stearns

The background is established from multiple layers of acrylic paint, applied with a mix of intentionality and spontaneity. Splashes and scrapes create dynamic textures and colors, blending control with organic expression.

Once the background is done, I add a layer of resin and sand it smooth, establishing a sense of depth and separation from the next element—whether it's a stenciled message, textured gold leaf, or another feature. This process of layering resin continues, each layer adding distance and dimension between elements.

The portrait references are developed collaboratively with AI, using a blend of inspiration imagery. I guide the AI to refine the lighting, expression, and mood, crafting a unique visual starting point. A halftone effect is added in Photoshop to prepare the reference.

From there, I map out the portrait at full scale using a grid and a stencil with different-sized circles. I sketch it in pencil first, then fill in every dot by hand with acrylic paint. I intentionally avoid methods like silk-screening or projection that might speed up or perfect the process.

To me, it's the subtle imperfections—the human touch—that resonate most deeply, capturing the essence of the human condition and infusing the work with authenticity.

Monsters

Original / one of one

40 x 52 x 3”

Acrylic and resin on canvas with handmade frame