When does a cherished object cross the line into burdensome excess? How can we attempt to enjoy our lives when the world burns around us? In his debut solo exhibition with Hashimoto Contemporary Dinner Party (While the World Burns), Los Angeles-based artist Nicholas Bono Kennedy examines the intricate relationship between beauty and burden amid a backdrop of pressing political and ecological challenges through his rich, colorful paintings. Balancing life’s beautiful moments with the chaos of living, the LA-based artist fills his compositions with lush arrangements of potted plants, pet piles, and scenes of domestic life, prompting viewers to find appreciation for our lives in a world that is beautiful and tragic.