Less Bad showcases the aesthetic innovation and conceptual depth of LA-based artist Karl Haendel, inviting viewers into a nuanced dialogue about art and meaning. This site-specific installation features over 60 works, primarily in graphite on paper, and explores a wide range of themes. From intimate experiences like fatherhood, love, friendship, and loss to broader issues such as tenderness, masculinity, introspection, and vulnerability, the exhibition offers a profound exploration of the human condition. Curated by Kimball Art Center Executive Director Aldy Milliken, Less Bad encourages an ongoing engagement with these thought-provoking themes.

Less Bad invites viewers to slow down, look closely, and engage deeply at the crossroads of art, society, and personal experience.

The exhibition explores various themes, from intimate experiences like fatherhood, love, friendship, and loss to broader issues such as tenderness, masculinity, introspection, and vulnerability.  Haendel’s exploration of masculinity is particularly important, challenging stereotypical definitions by emphasizing vulnerability, intimacy, and friendship.