"The work I make is showing this messed-up system that's perpetuated by the media that makes girls want to conform and buy into this cuteness," Aoki explains when Spark visits her Santa Clara studio while she prepares for a solo exhibition at the LMAN gallery in Los Angeles. And although her message is a bold one, Aoki's use of anime-inspired images and candy colors yields results that are more likely to provoke conversation than arguments.