I AM EVERYBODY AND EVERYBODY IS ME (Original)

This still life explores the fragile and often illusory nature of identity - how the self is shaped, fractured and reconstructed through the eyes of others. I Am Everybody and Everybody Is Me reflects the idea that we do not form our sense of self in isolation but through a constant process of mirroring, projection and expectation. Consciously or not, we internalise how we are perceived, until boundaries between who we are and who we are thought to be become blurred. 

A main point of the composition is a harlequin mask, a symbol long associated with performance and duality. Here it represents the many masks we wear as we move through different roles in life - adapting our personality to circumstance, approval, or survival. The mask raises a central question: where does authenticity end and performance begin?

The recurring banana introduces an element of absurdity, referencing Maurizio Cattelan’s taped banana and the wider art world’s willingness to assign meaning, value and reverence to almost anything when instructed to do so. It challenges the viewer to question not only what we call art, but what we accept as truth - how easily meaning is imposed from the outside and collectively agreed upon, regardless of substance.

Adidas trainers, a recurring motif in my work, represent the self in motion - the journey through life and the lived experience of the individual. They ground the painting in autobiography while remaining universally relatable. Alongside them, a Coca-Cola bottle reflects the omnipresent influence of consumer culture and the subtle ways it shapes identity, desire and aspiration. 

The saxophone introduces the theme of hedonism and pleasure, while the grapes - an object commonly found in classical still life - refer to lost tradition and the erosion of inherited values. Their presence nods to the past, reminding us of what once grounded culture in ritual, craft and continuity. In contrast, the violin with its broken string speaks of disharmony - a world out of tune, where meaning, balance and cohesion have fractured. 

Handcuffs appear as both a personal and universal symbol. They reference not only physical imprisonment but the psychological restraints we place upon ourselves: identities imposed, beliefs absorbed, narratives inherited. With one open and the other closed, they suggest that freedom is always possible but only once we recognise what binds us. 

Together, these objects form a portrait without a face - a self assembled from symbols, influences and contradictions. The title, I Am Everybody and Everybody Is Me, speaks to the shared human condition: our identities are never entirely our own, yet within this collective shaping lies the opportunity for self-awareness. The painting invites the viewer to reflect inward - to ask which parts of themselves are authentic and which have been constructed through the gaze of others. 

Material: Oil on Canvas 
Size: 90 x 60 cm