Artist Statement - "NXTLEVEL" by Mihai Muscan
This piece looks at how growing up can twist something fun into something a little tougher. The spiked basketball is a way of showing how something that once felt carefree—like playing as a kid—can start to carry a whole different weight as life gets more complicated. It’s about the weird mix of nostalgia and struggle, and how we find the strength to keep going even when things aren’t so simple anymore. I wanted to take something familiar and show the edge that can come with growing up.