Curious: Folke – Playful Art for Uncertain Times
Works by CJ Metzger and from the Folke House Studio Collection
Leanna Lin's Wonderland
5024 Eagle Rock Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90041
Show Run: Feb. 14 - March 21, 2026 | Artist Reception: Sat. Feb. 28 (6–9pm)
In times of upheaval, art offers refuge. Curious Folke presents a salon-style exhibition of whimsical paintings, prints, and sketches that invite viewers into moments of quiet wonder and gentle hope. Created by artist Candace (CJ) Metzger with pieces from the Folke House Studio collection, these works offer respite from the chaos – not through escape, but through thoughtful attention to the small, sweet, and significant.
CJ's signature style blends narrative storytelling with observations of the natural world, creating portals into moments of connection and contemplation. The exhibition features a mix of beloved works and new pieces, each offering a different doorway into stories both melancholic and hopeful. While the current political climate looms large in our collective consciousness, these works resist overt commentary in favor of something more sustaining: reminders of beauty, kinship, and the enduring relationships between humans, animals, and the living world around us.
Curious Folke is an invitation to pause, to notice, and to find joy in the act of looking closely.
*For any art inquiries, email orders@leannalinswonderland.com
About the Artist
CJ Metzger is a Los Angeles-based artist, illustrator, and designer whose work explores the narrative relationships between humans, animals, and the natural environment. Working from her Glendale studio – originally built by her artist grandparents - CJ creates paintings, illustrations, and prints that serve as portals, inviting viewers into moments of connection with the world around them.
Her work has been featured in the Los Angeles Times and Pasadena Weekly, and she has published children's books with Baby Tattoo Books and released vinyl toys at San Diego Comic-Con. CJ's art has been exhibited in galleries and non-traditional venues throughout Los Angeles, always with the intent of creating accessible entry points into storytelling and wonder.
By day, CJ works as an Art Director and Brand Creative Lead at Hasbro, where she manages creative development across major entertainment properties. Her artistic mantra—"Don't tell people your Dreams. Show Them"—guides both her professional and personal creative practice.
