Artist profile

Peter Opheim

British, b. 1983

Exhibit69 was born in South London in 1980 but spent his formative years in the USA where he was exposed to arts and culture through his parent’s gallery. Whilst there, thejoint influences of the burgeoning hip hop scene and his voracious appetite for comic books, profoundly shaped his future practice. Returning to the UK during adolescence, life changed drastically with graffiti becoming his main out- let, enabling him to escape the lures of crime and gang culture.

His work has allowed him to express deep feelings and suppressed emotions by working on various materials from canvas to marble and granite to BDSM attire, freeing this introverted artist with extroverted tendencies to ex- press himself as an adult. His prolific output led him to be- come a painters assistant with iconic street artist D*Face. Inspiration is taken from a myriad of taboo subjects which nearly led to his early demise - eroticism, religion, drugs, oppression, mental health. The rebellious energy of the punk ethos alongside graffiti, comics and pop culture now allow him to explore his complex lived experience through a painting approach that deliberately de-colonises art.

His 1 of 1 hand-painted jackets have been stocked and sold out in Nordstrom USA and has graced the backs of numerous A-list musicians and global sports personalities. Exhibit69 has also worked with Dr Martens, declined being stocked in Selfridges and has been featured in Paper Mag- azine, The Face, Sotheby MIB, Marvin Magazine and has given a talk to students at Falmouth Fashion and Textiles Institute despite having no formal training.

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