World in my Eyes

Joy Machine presents World in My Eyes, a duo exhibition of Chicago artists Kayla Mahaffey and Joseph Perez, a.k.a. Sentrock.

World in My Eyes is, first and foremost, rooted in the lives of everyday people. Both Sentrock and Mahaffey have long depicted friends and neighbors in their own Chicago neighborhoods, exploring how our city shapes its youngest residents. How are children cared for? How are their imaginations and dreams nurtured? These questions recur throughout both artists’ practices and always hinge on another: how do children thrive amid turmoil, whether political, cultural, or personal?

In World in My Eyes, Sentrock’s signature bird character meets Mahaffey’s energetic cast. Each artist confronts an underlying struggle–whether an unrealized dream or a physical need–not through an unrealistic swaddle of optimism but rather through the often-repeated idea that hope is a practice. For children, and for all of us seeking a better tomorrow, hope starts with courage.

Kayla Mahaffey

A Pleasant Distraction - 2026

12 x 12 inches Acrylic on linen

Kayla Mahaffey

Silence the Noise - 2026

12 x 14 inches - Acrylic on linen