Hem’s subjects appear transfixed in time and space at the top of snowy peaks, in warm campsites, walking alone through jungles, both lush and concrete. While the places they wander are grand, there is a certain sadness as Hem hints at man’s inevitable demise and decay. In his show statement, Hem shares his personal goal of painting the Seven Wonders of the World by the time he is thirty years old. Here, he portrays sites like the Grand Canyon and Mount Everest, recreating the experience of seeing them as an emotional one, rather than capturing their physical reality. Although these are famous places, many of them are out of reach or facing the threats of industry, becoming “unknown” to future generations. (http://hifructose.com/2015/10/15/andrew-hem-paints-the-wonders-of-the-world-in-unknown-terrain/)