In Rainer Maria Rilke’s essay ‘Dolls’, he questions the consciousness of dolls: Are their eyes only open because they are forced to be? While they might appear 'awake', Rilke sees dolls as soulless, unchanging and corpselike; a nature comparable to young celebrities.

Adolescent celebrities are only ever portrayed to reflect the desires of global audiences as perceived by their management. As such, images around and about these groups and individuals are produced by external forces. As such, the manufactured image questions the authenticity of celebrities, constantly oscillating between sincerity and artifice. When do these facades become so insubstantial as to become soulless? Using the visual legacy of British Pop group S Club 7 as a reference, these paintings explore the fictitious nature of celebrity personas and the image-making habits that uphold them.

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Read my exhibition text, Ain't No Party!, here.