Cherri Wood is one of those rare nineteen-year-olds who manage to translate their mandatory teen angst into wonderful works of art. Her drawings combine that childish, messy quality of art with the intensity of adult reality.

Simple but rich like a haiku, Wood’s work reveals graphite kids standing in the watercolor dirt, daring you to fill in the wide white blanks of the world.

The Oliver Twists of her canvases, inspired by a lost fingernail or the freakish masks of her neighbors, speak volumes with their faceless melancholy.

The talented teenager can transform a newspaper cutout and a piece of duct tape into something much grander and more profound, into tiny pieces chipped away from on old soul.

Do check out Cherri Wood‘s extraordinary work. And if you happen to be in the San Francisco area, stop by Gallery 1988 by February 28th. Just be sure to look for the tiny messages buried between the ink stains — they make the whole experience that much more gratifying and personal.