For all lovers of dark surrealism and fantasy, we are proud to announce a very special exhibition which delves into the heart of ancient archetypes through the eyes of two of the world’s most renowned contemporary fantasy and dark artists! Corey Helford Gallery soon opens its doors for Death and the Maiden, a captivating collaborative exhibition by celebrated fantasy artist Jasmine Becket-Griffith and acclaimed necrosurrealist David Van Gough. Death and the Maiden is another step forward in their creative duality, celebrating the artistic partnership between these two distinct yet kindred visionary artists through its exploration of mortality, transformation, mythology, and the enduring power of archetypal storytelling.
“These works are inspired by the artists’ acclaimed graphic novella of the same name and the centuries-old artistic motifs that have appeared throughout European painting, literature, and music.
The exhibition unfolds as a visual meditation on the mysteries that lie beyond the veil and offers a contemporary reexamination of one of humanity’s most enduring subjects: our relationship with death.”
Death and the Maiden will open on June 27, 2026, in Gallery 2 at Corey Helford Gallery. A special Event Exclusive pin, “Stralice and Death”, will be available (one pin per person, absolutely free), for the first 100 attendees at the opening reception. Additionally, the new Death & the Maiden Creativity Journal, published by Blue Angel Publishing, will also have been released and will be available on hand at the opening reception for both artists to autograph!
Read ahead to learn more about Jasmine Becket-Griffith & David Van Gough and their magical joint exhibition – soon on show at Corey Helford Gallery.
Jasmine Becket-Griffith & David Van Gough
Death and the Maiden
Opening reception: June 27th, 2026 7pm – 11pm. Jasmine Becket-Griffith & David Van Gough will be in attendance!
Dates: June 27th – August 1st, 2026
COREY HELFORD GALLERY
Gallery 2: 571 S. Anderson St. Los Angeles, CA 90033
Open: Tuesday-Saturday, 12:00 pm – 6:00 pm
(310) 287-2340
For more information please email sherri@coreyhelfordgallery.com
Jasmine Becket-Griffith & David Van Gough Death and the Maiden
From press release
While their artistic approaches differ, Jasmine Becket-Griffith and David Van Gough share a fascination with the unseen, the symbolic, and the deeply human questions surrounding life, death, and what may exist between. In Death and the Maiden, the familiar archetype of the maiden is re-imagined – not as a passive muse or fragile figure, but as a powerful force unto herself.
She appears throughout the exhibition as a witness, guide, and protagonist: knowing, resilient, and transformed through her encounters with mortality. Death, meanwhile, emerges not merely as an ending, but as a shape-shifting presence – at times compassionate, intimate, and strangely beautiful; in other moments, inevitable and unsettling. Together, the artists create a richly layered visual dialogue that moves seamlessly between gothic elegance, romantic symbolism, and dreamlike surrealism. Their works inhabit liminal spaces where light and shadow coexist, beauty and melancholy intertwine, and boundaries between life and afterlife become fluid and porous.
The exhibition also reflects a broader artistic tradition that has captivated creators for centuries. The motif of “Death and the Maiden” has appeared throughout European art, literature, and music as a symbolic confrontation between youth and mortality. Jasmine Becket-Griffith and David Van Gough offer a contemporary reinterpretation, one that emphasizes empowerment, self-awareness, and transformation rather than fear alone. At a cultural moment increasingly defined by uncertainty, Death and the Maiden offers not merely an examination of mortality, but a meditation on resilience, transformation, and the enduring power of imagination. Rather than presenting death as something to be feared, the exhibition invites viewers to contemplate it as part of a larger cycle – one intertwined with growth, memory, wonder, and renewal.
The result is a hauntingly beautiful collection that lingers long after viewing, encouraging reflection on the delicate balance between darkness and light that defines the human experience.
Jasmine Becket-Griffith
Jasmine Becket-Griffith is a traditional acrylic painter, combining elements of realism with fantasy and the surreal. Historical and spiritual references are intertwined with fairy tales and the beauty of nature. Her trademark liquid-eyed maidens evoke a wide range of emotions and responses to the surrounding imagery. It is her goal to bring a bit of magic and mystery to the mundane world with every painting!
Jasmine’s images appear in many books, oracle decks and magazines as well as countless merchandising lines such as the Bradford Exchange and Hamilton Collection, and her artwork with the Walt Disney Company, Lucasfilm, and more. Her paintings have a very wide appeal, appearing in public and private collections throughout the world, and she maintains an ever-growing legion of fans from all walks of life with her “Strangeling” brand and the “Death & the Maiden” co-brand with her friend David Van Gough.
Jasmine has been showing her work professionally since 1997. She is a full-time painter, working from her studios in La Jolla and Julian, California. Her work can be found at galleries across the US, including the Corey Helford Gallery in Los Angeles, Disney’s WonderGround Galleries in Downtown Disney, Disneyland California and The Art of Disney Stores in Disney Springs and Epcot at the Walt Disney World Resort in Florida.
David Van Gough
David Van Gough is a necrosurrealist artist, utilizing deep symbolism, a sense of mortality, in a sometimes surreal and beautiful setting, his work interweaves personal history with the literary, the esoteric with the mythical, imbuing his work with “an emotional and spiritual excavation for purpose” and enlightenment in the darkest places.
An honoree Artist of 2010 at the San Diego Art Institute, and recipient of the Pacific modern art award, his work has been hosted in a succession of solo and featured showcases on both sides of the Atlantic, including major exhibits at the Oceanside Museum of Art, (SD) and showcasing at the recent Monsterpalooza in Pasadena, CA. His Hyaena gallery exhibit “Man/son and the haunting of the American Madonna” was featured as part of the critically acclaimed documentary “Serial Killer Culture.”
David’s work has also been licensed and featured on a wide array of book and album covers, and in 2022, he began the collaborative series “Death and the Maiden” with renowned artist and friend Jasmine Becket-Griffith.
Currently the artist lives and works from his studio in Julian, CA, where he is also working on his monumental work “The Last Temptation of St Anthony” a 6’ x 8’ masterpiece, which shall be his largest painting to date.
Open to the public and free to attend, Now, and Forevermore is on show in the Main Gallery, alongside automotive artist Dave Shuten, street artist Fabez and Argentinean born skateboard culturalist Ramiro Davaro-Comas, in Gallery 2. Additionally, an exhibition by solo from pop surrealist artist Andrea Guzzetta (titled Oasis) is on show in Gallery 3. The shows will be on view at CHG through June 20th.
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About Corey Helford Gallery
Established in 2006 by Jan Corey Helford and her husband, television producer/creator Bruce Helford (The Conners, Lopez vs. Lopez, Anger Management, The Drew Carey Show, and George Lopez), Corey Helford Gallery (CHG) has since evolved into one of the premier galleries of New Contemporary art. Its goal as an institution is to support the growth of artists, from the young and emerging to the well-known and internationally established. CHG represents a diverse collection of international artists, primarily influenced by today’s pop culture and collectively encompassing style genres such as New Figurative Art, Pop Surrealism, Neo Pop, Graffiti, and Street Art.
