Trumpocalypse: What Now?

The fear on many people's minds becomes reality today as America swears in Donald Trump as the 45th president. 

Meantime, c. 200 miles away, tucked within a gallery on Broadway, NYC a quiet protest is happening. "Trumpocalypse: What Now?" an anti-Trump exhibition is happening featuring not only my own art, but also work by Hal Hefner, Todd Kale, Christian Hooker, Pinky Weber, Dan Alvarado and many others.

If you get a chance to check out this special event:
Sacred Gallery
424 Broadway, 2nd Floor
NYC

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The art of xenophobia

PRESS RELEASE: 

Australian born London-based artist, Heath Kane, has been making some explosive noise in the art world. So much so, that his limited edition Masks of Fear collection has become so popular, both his Trump and Jong-un prints have sold out, leaving only a handful of prints up for grabs as collector pieces.

Kane’s gift for visualizing questions about wealth, political and social justice has caught the undivided attention of the art world, seeing his pieces featured across various publications and blogs such as The Jealous Curator and Crave.

Who are the people behind these masks of fear running some of the most powerful countries in the world? This is the question beautifully regurgitated to form sensational pop-art portraits.

The Masks of Fear collection conveys Trump’s xenophobic traits against Mexicans and other targeted ethnic groups, Kim Jung-un’s deep resentment for western society and Putin’s views connected to the LGBT community and the infamous Pussy Riot movement.

With a record number of people taking showing an interest in politics this year, this has resonated with the global art community; acting as one of the catalysts to propel Kane into the exclusive art world amidst a political pop art outburst.

For those of you that would like to grasp one of the last remaining limited edition prints for your art collection, view the Masks of Fear collection here

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Excited State

I am very grateful to be selected in showcasing my work at Atom Gallery's first exhibition - "Excited State". The exhibition features contemporary prints by 23 artists.

The exhibition will run until January 27th and the gallery is open Wednesday – Saturday, from 11am until 6pm.

Visit the gallery:
Atom Gallery, 127 Green Lanes, London N16 9DA

For more details
www.atomgallery.co.uk

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Made in China

Introduced in 1813, Spode's Chinaware pattern is renown for being one of the world's first mass produced designs. The original design illustrates a tranquil and iconic depiction of China (during the Qing dynasty). Fast forward 200 years, and our depiction of China is far from such an idyllic place.

'Made in China' felt rather fitting as a name for this piece. I wanted to use this iconic plate design to create a new narrative of China in context to modern globalization. Subtly replacing the landscape where the scene tells the story of how factories now replace shrines, humble fisherman and their boats replaced by mass export, blossom trees vanished and replaced by pollution and dotted throughout, the emergence of environmental devastation begins to appear. Weaving into this tapestry of detail you can see some familiar brands, such as Apple, Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger all symbolic of designed goods made in China. 

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Stop the bloodshed

Angered by the needless bloodshed in Syria, I felt incensed to create a new piece. Titled "High Justice" it depicts the bloodshed created by Russian bombing campaigns over Aleppo.

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Rich Enough to be Batman?

This is the question that inspired “Rich Enough to be Batman”, a print that has become a best seller. The print depicting the Queen wearing a Batman mask, provokes a pressing question about wealth and social contribution. If you had enough money would you become Batman and use your money to fight crime and protect the vulnerable? Or would you splash out on expensive things for your own pleasure?

The idea came about when reading the Sunday Times Rich List that is published annually. I’ve always questioned the purpose of this. Is it for everyone to collectively celebrate the success of the richest 100 people worldwide, or simply to rub our noses in the fact about how far behind the rest of us are from having such wealth.

These days, it seems you can’t open a newspaper or turn on a TV without being bombarded by news involving exploitation of wealth. In recent weeks, the headlines have been dominated by the collapse of BHS and how Phillip Green (net worth £3.6Bn) has been accused to ciphering money out before its collapse. And about how Mike Ashley (net worth US$6Bn) has been refusing to pay his staff minimum wage while he goes on spending sprees buying mansion, super yachts and jet planes. 

Of course not all billionaires are self-serving - Bill and Melinda Gates (net wealth US$78.5) are well know for their philanthropy and good deeds. Mark Zuckerberg and his wife recently announced they would give the majority of their wealth over the course of their lives to "advancing human potential and promoting equality". 

 In a world where wealth is become concentrated into the hands of a ultra rich elite though, the question remains: how rich do you need to be before you become Batman?

See the full Rich Enough to be Batman collection here.

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Back in the studio to finalise "In Brands we Trust"

It's been a thrill to work with Jealous Studios this week on my latest print "In Brands we Trust". The idea for this print has been sitting around in my studio for half a year not knowing quite what to do with it. But finally it's come together - and I'm excited to see it printed large (594 x 841mm / 23.4 x 33.1 in).

The idea for the print was to create a mock idol by galvanising a Malibu Barbie figure with the Virgin Mary. Brands have such a profound impact on our daily lives it's raises the question if religious faith can compete.

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