The dangerous children and wondrous monsters that emerge from the studio of Dan Dos Santos present something of a riddle: Does he favor luminescent figures and dark backgrounds, or do you see dark figures and luminescent backgrounds when you witness his works?

Whatever your perception, Mr. Dos Santos’ masterfully lit dramatic portraits, usually capture the setting directly before or after the violent conflicts, leaving the viewer to wonder what has or will happened. Whatever we’ve narrowly missed certainly can’t match the fierce beauty of Dan’s dynamic, sharply focused visions.