Peer into a parallel universe through R. Nicholas Kuszyk’s paintings and you will see a prisma-colored society of robots acting out the various roles of mankind’s existence. There are densely layered hyper metal war massacres with robots’ innards being yanked out of torsos, raining bits of robotic parts across a sea of retired machines. Glowing orbs float above the action spewing out jumbles of wires while magical rays of light blast out of holes in the ground as robots ceremoniously gather around. The scenes are sci-fi fantastical while transcending possible elements of kitsch in favor of exploring humankind’s complex conundrums.

There are peaceful moments amid the visual chaos: automatons endlessly toiling away at menial tasks, groups calmly working together, building structures, sharing everyday mundane moments, and saving one another from on the job peril. You can sense the comforting peace of their rituals and while there is not a human in sight, the seemingly expressionless robots unveil a myriad of emotions that we all can draw personal parallels to.

R. Nichoals Kuszyk is a prolific painter, muralist, and recent author of R.Robot Saves Lunch, published by Penguin Books. He has previously shown at McCaig-Welles Gallery in Brooklyn, and most recently at Michael Rosenthal Gallery in San Francisco.