Colorado State University’s campus features multiple attention-grabbing pieces of artwork like the giant Campbell’s soup statue outside the Center for the Arts and the “Newton’s Corner” by the Behavioral Sciences Building. The most recent addition to CSU’s art displays is an exhibit by CSU student Jackson Aldern called “RIGHTEOUS.”

“RIGHTEOUS” is locate in the basement of the Lory Student Center in the space commonly referred to as the Hallery.

Aldern said he chose the name “RIGHTEOUS” for its subjective meaning.

“I’m intrigued by the duality of that word and its application in the real world,” Aldern said. “There are several different pieces of work that feature a variety of images to captivate the viewer.”

Aldern said his goal for the exhibit is for it to spark conversation.

“Whether you consider yourself an art person or not, I doubt you would find a shortage of stuff to talk about,” Aldern said.

Aldern said he wants viewers to interpret their own meaning of the exhibit.

“I strongly encourage the viewer to feel the work on their own terms,” Aldern said. “Think about it. Let it marinate a little bit. Then, any takeaway message can be constructed individually.”

Aldern said the exhibit was inspired by his transition into adulthood.

“I came to CSU not at all prepared for really any part of adult life, so the works have a lot to do with my time spent adjusting to change,” Aldern said.

Aldern said the process he went through to create the pieces was mostly spontaneous and experimental.

“I like solving problems in my work,” Aldern said. “For example, how to use crochet on a canvas or how to draw a person smoking a dollar sign. When I find my solution to that problem, I move on.”

Aldern said he spent two all nighters in his garage working on one of his favorite pieces, “RIGHTEOUS,” which shares its name with the exhibit.

“It was an extremely meditative experience for me,” Aldern said. “It was more so than other works because of the complete isolation in which it was created.”

Although “RIGHTEOUS” was one of his favorites, Aldern said he has a complex relationship with all of the pieces in the exhibit.

“Many of them were given life under peculiar circumstances,” Aldern said,

While this art gallery is a collection of his paintings, Aldern said he has experience in other fields of art as well.

“I’m much more than a painter,” Aldern said. “Sculpture is a familiar realm for me, and I work as a graphic designer. I also write and play drums in a band.”

Aldern said he does not have specific plans for after college but that he could not imagine a future in which he was not creating art.

“For now, I’m just refining my practice and keeping an open mind,” Aldern said.

There will be an opening ceremony for “RIGHTEOUS” today at 4 p.m. in the basement of the LSC where the exhibit is located.

All of the pieces in “RIGHTEOUS” are available for purchase, and 20 percent of Aldern’s profits will be donated to a local charity or non-profit organization of the patron’s choosing.

To view more of Aldern’s artwork, go to seeja.crevado.com.

Collegian Arts and Culture reporter Alaysha Powell can be reached at entertainment@collegian.com or on Twitter at @alaysha_powell.