In her own words, Dada is “an artist who loves to draw all sorts of subjects using all kinds of different mediums.” Her most unique trait as an artist is her penchant for grafting the faces of two characters, often Disney characters, onto one head with two halves. In general, the renderings are extremely faithful to their source material, alternating between light and adorable, and vivid and surreal. Some of the combo choices include shared species like Simba and Scar, while others are more human/animal hybrids like Beauty and The Beast. Dada’s work is a freaky, cute delight.
While it is lovely to see Snow White and the Evil Queen, the ones most intriguing are those that unexpectedly complement each other and reveal traits that were previously hidden. A telling example of this is the combo of Aladdin and Jafar. This is the Aladdin in his royal, rich man gear, combined with an interpretation of Jafar that is truer to the dark anti-Aladdin that he really is, a swarthy, black hat Aladdin. It’s a perspective clearly illustrated in the film yet not so clearly as interpreted by Dada who also brings out previously hidden feminine qualities to the character. It causes you to reconsider your nostalgia of the street rat and his foe. It’s what the best of Dada’s work does, makes you see some of the most beloved characters of your pop culture past and present, things you’ve lived with and observed your whole life, in entirely new ways. It’s perspective, one of the hallmarks of a good artist.
