Looks are deceiving

Looks are deceiving
Ben Slow | SKIO | .Epod | FinDAC

From June 25th we will be showing the exhibition “Looks are deceiving” with works by Ben Slow, Epod, FinDAC and SKIO.
All artists show portraits and deal with beauty, aesthetics and how they are perceived in our society.

The beautiful shine

The surface, the first fleeting impression is often deceptive. Actually everyone is aware of that. In our day and age, when millions of new images are circulating every hour via the Internet and social networks, we like to be misled by the beautiful shine. Although we know how images are manipulated and even videos are changed with filters in real time, these influence our view of reality.
Recently, artificial intelligence has been generating images that look deceptively real. Confusion reaches a new level.

A Play with our perception

The works in the exhibition “Looks are deceiving” are real. They are not generated by a computer after entering a few lines of text. They are hand painted by the artists. And yet they play with our perception.
The portraits, some of which appear photorealistic, are blurred, distorted and overlaid with geometric elements by the artist. They use artificial and partly monochrome color schemes and a visuality familiar from hyper-realistic computer graphics.
The special appeal of these works lies in the aesthetics shown in this way, which invites us to linger and immerse ourselves in the beautiful shine.

Ben Slow

Ben Slow uses different materials for his mostly monochrome portraits. His dramatic-looking works have equal points of contact with the abstract and figurative styles. As an artist, he draws inspiration from the vibrant life of London’s residential neighborhoods, with their electrifying mix of cultures, as well as the dazzling characters he encounters on his travels.

.Epod

.EPOD’s work is heavily influenced by graffiti, conceptual art and fine art and is a fusion of all three elements, making his work instantly recognizable and extremely unique. In his works .EPDO combines our idea of future with vintage, fashion with technology, reality and alienation.

FinDAC

FinDAC has developed a distinctive visual language over the years that he calls “Urban Aesthetics”. He is known for his depictions of Eurasian women. FinDAC’s work questions themes related to the emancipation and empowerment of women, sexual stereotypes, and also perceptions shaped by colonialism.

SKIO

SKIO observes an everyday life that is becoming increasingly virtual due to the growing dominance of social media. In his paintings, he examines the uniformity that our society imposes on people and the demand for beauty.
Inspired by the Bauhaus movement and Surrealism, he strives for a balance between complexity and minimalism, experimenting with geometry, anatomy and color.

“Looks are deceiving”

23rd of June – 5th of August
Opening reception: Friday 23rd of June 7pm

Pretty Portal
Brunnenstrasse 12
40223 Düsseldorf