Bright colors, polished atmospheres, and characters that seem to emerge from a digital screen: Oli Epp’s new exhibition at Perrotin in Shanghai brings to life the more ambiguous side of contemporary existence. Born in London in 1994, Epp is known for a painting practice that combines irony, pop aesthetics, and psychological reflection, exploring the tensions hidden behind the pursuit of perfection and success. His figures, marked by oversized heads, distorted limbs, and almost artificial surfaces, appear both playful and unsettling. Through scenes of luxury, consumption, and excess, the artist reflects on how technology, social media, and image culture shape the construction of personal identity. The aesthetic of the works deliberately recalls the visual language of screens: crisp, luminous, and perfectly controlled images. The paintings begin as intuitive sketches that are digitally manipulated before being executed in oil, acrylic, and airbrush. Beneath their seductive surface, however, lies a more fragile and complex meditation on loneliness, anxiety, and the desire for recognition in contemporary society.
