Slow it down
By Struan Hopwood in collaboration with Emma McAdam-Marmont
This work continues Struan Hopwood's exploration of identity through a visual language built from many influences. Portraiture, illustration, street art, comics, fashion and popular culture are brought together in layered compositions that reflect the way our identities are formed. We are shaped by the things we consume, the memories we keep and the stories we carry, becoming far more than any single influence.
 
Although the work appears to be assembled from torn fragments, every element has been meticulously painted by hand. The illusion of collage mirrors the complexity of identity itself, where seemingly unrelated references come together to form something entirely original.
 
Created in collaboration with Emma McAdam-Marmont, the painting combines Hopwood's bold graphic compositions with McAdam-Marmont's refined realism. Their contrasting approaches create a visual tension that sits at the heart of the work, allowing different artistic languages to coexist within a single portrait.