Lifelines is the latest body of work from LUAP. Three years in the making, it is an exhibition featuring 16 large scale portrait paintings. Taking place at ‘The Bottle Factory’ in Bermondsey it’s a grand location for what is a remarkable series of artworks.
Mental Health and Personality
It’s a series that focuses on mental health and personality. Sitters are photographed through a broken mirror and invited to share their story. LUAP’s totemic Pink Bear is there too although in a much subtler way than fans of earlier works will expect. Afterwards the images are painted in a style blending abstract mark making with photographic realism.
LUAP talks about ‘Lifelines’
Abstract Portraits
The result is a series of incredible painted portraits. Within each image the sitters are holding personal artefacts. Each imbued with a deep emotional significance. The Pink Bear is present but in a much reduced form. Fragments only can be seen. Hints of colour that hint as to his presence. A silent guardian and one who represents warmth and comfort.
Dramatic Departure
For LUAP the whole series marks a dramatic departure from the style and form he is known for. The Pink Bear is both an alter ego and a muse. Much of his previous work, having featured the bear itself as a central character. Over the years, he has become a means for the artist himself to explore the world around him.
Safe Space
During the making of this latest series the studio needed to become a safe space. A place where even the most traumatic stories could be recounted openly. Sharing their experiences and then photographed both with the mirror and the bear. What is portrayed goes beyond mere likeness. It is a deeper truth, an exploration of self-perception. These are the masks that we wear, and the parts of ourselves we often keep hidden.
‘Lifelines’ is the latest solo exhibition from LUAP. It takes place on Friday 6th December from 6-10pm at ‘The Bottle Factory‘, 12 Ossory Rd, London SE1 5AN. The exhibition has been supported by Alt Co Clique, Fabrix, Mind, Nikon Europe, Plexar and The Bottle Factory. To RSVP for the Private View click here.
For more Inspiring City articles you will like, take a look at…
- LUAP the Artist Behind the Pink Bear
- Hope Mural from LUAP appears in Shoreditch
- ‘I’m Glad I Found You’ – 10 Years of the Pink Bear
- Pink Bear Lounges on Cleethorpes Beach
- Giant Pink Bear Pavilion created in Hamburg
- Seeds of Change: LUAP at the Winter Sculpture Park
Discover more from Inspiring City
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
1 Comment