Happy New Year from Raytayart! It’s a new year, which means new adventures and new opportunities for exciting experiences. On the topic of new adventures, let’s talk about my first expo/con experience of 2026; The Oddities and Curiosities Expo!
The Oddity Expo was such a thrilling experience! I never knew too much about what classified as “oddities” and “curiosities” until attending. Now that I’m familiar, I find myself highly interested and invested in the community! What I really adore about strange oddities and curiosities is its similar tie-ins to the horror genre. There was so much fascinating art that really showed off perspectives and styles that one wouldn’t typically think of when they think of “art.” The type of art I saw at this expo felt bold, daring, and unique. Many pieces gave off a feeling of wonder, mystery, and strange.
The thing about strange is that it can be so fascinating. Strange can be looked at as either good or bad depending on the perspective. With what I saw at the expo, it gave me more reasons to appreciate and embrace strange!
This piece in particular is an excellent example of that. (Unfortunately, I didn’t catch the name of the artist) The quote “Offering: Give yourself to find yourself” really spoke to me and made me reflect on myself as an artist and person. The composition, pose, and overall feeling was very fascinating and eye catching, which makes me appreciate it even more!
Cosplaying at the Oddity Expo
Not only was the Oddity Expo the first big event of 2026 for Raytayart, but also the first chance to show off my latest cosplay, “Reddy Blake!’ I was absolutely thrilled to cosplay the beloved final boy “Finney” from The Black Phone. The phone will be spray painted black soon, hopefully in time for my next expo or con experience!
