Douglas de Souza Brazilian, b. 1984

Douglas de Souza (lives and works in São Paulo, Brazil) creates highly figurative, magically flamboyant oil paintings characterised by a saturated, luminous colour palette that reproduces the immaculate sharpness of digital imagery. Using a collage-like approach to composition, the paintings are an amalgamation of different symbols, fantasies, pop culture icons, canonical allegories and an intimate selection of kitsch references. Infusing his canvases with an undeniable sense of excess and seduction, Douglas de Souza's practice relies on an interplay of everyday symbols that are loaded with collective meaning to look at different stereotypes, particularly those associated with conventional masculinity. The rigid yet easily breakable surface of a porcelain knickknack, the self-fecundating shape of an anthurium's spathe and spadix, the luscious undulating neck of a glamourous swan, the virile power of the horse and the horsepower of an engine are all brought together to generate a bling-like allure that invites us to reflect on that which can be both frivolous and serious.