“Smoking kills cigarettes 2”, 40 x 30 cm, 2024, Acrylic and coloured pencil on Hahnemuehle (310g/m2)

In the series “Smoking Kills Cigarettes,” Mike Okay succeeds in radically shifting the perception of everyday objects. Cigarettes, traditionally associated with addiction, self-destruction, or coolness, are reimagined as sensitive, almost child-like beings through anthropomorphization. Their cheerful faces and lively gestures stand in stark contrast to the threat of their imminent destruction—the act of smoking itself.

This humorous and subversive shift in perspective evokes an ambivalent response somewhere between amusement and reflection. The viewer is invited to pause, not through moralizing but through empathy. The cigarette becomes the victim, no longer something one can consume thoughtlessly.

With gentle irony, “Smoking kills cigarettes” builds a bridge between awareness and emotional engagement. Through illustration, the series opens a new ethical dimension in how we perceive consumer goods, transforming a health warning into an aesthetic experience with lasting impact.

1.100€ + shipping (free within DE)