The German conceptual artist analyzes through hyper-realistic portraits, the new cult of personality born on social media. Using the traditional method of court painting, Drange portrays on canvas the "selfies" of some of the most popular celebrities of the web, scattering them with kitsch emoji such as hearts, butterflies and unicorns that highlight their belonging to the digital world.

 

The artist in fact does not paint his artworks, he selects photos of influencers such as Kylie and Kendall Jenner on Instagram creating a simplified composition on his computer that is then enlarged to the final size with the help of "machine learning", a subset of artificial intelligence (AI) that deals with creating systems that learn or improve performances based on the data they use. 

Once the definitive file is produced it is used as a model for the creation of his oil paintings that he gets manufactured in China under his guidance.

In this way, Drange challenges the concepts of authorship and originality through the medium of painting.

 

According to the artist, we are in the midst of the "Selfie/Instagram Age", an era in which social media such as Instagram influences our perception of ourselves and gives birth to idols we want to resemble or imitate, appropriating their poses, clothes or bodies.

"Today, selfies have really become a cult object, the protagonists of a new religion that finds its sanctuaries in smartphones. The second consequence is a new female image, halfway between the old machismo stereotypes and the new hyper aware and self-confident woman" - Chris Drange