Rex Southwick Deconstructs Instagram's Idealized Realities in "Querencia" Exhibition

Emerging London-based artist Rex Southwick is presenting his first solo exhibition called “Querencia” at Unit London later this month.

Southwick graduated with a First-Class Honors from Leeds Arts University in Fine Art in 2018, and now he presents exploring and analyzing the “idealized domestic environments found on digital platforms.” In essence, Southwick’s super-saturated paintings depict the extravagant lives shown on Instagram.

He questions ownership and aspiration through his selection of paintings, which depict idyllic scenes featuring domestic workers and laborers that “reveal a hidden truth behind notions of luxury and possession.” The exhibition’s title — “Querencia” — comes from the Spanish metaphysical concept which, in traditional bullfighting games the bull may stake out his querencia, a certain part of the bull ring where he feels strong. As a result, the word denotes desire, a theme concurrent throughout Southwick’s work. For the young artist, “Querencia” was chosen as it evokes Ernest Hemingway’s Death in the Afternoon.

Southwick has previously collaborated with ’80s supergroup The Power Station for their upcoming album’s cover art, and saw his work get showcased at London Fashion Week earlier this year. Take a look at some of his “Querencia” works above and head to Unit London from July 12 to see them for yourself.

In other news, Takashi Murakami is presenting his “From Superflat to Bubblewrap” exhibition at the STPI Gallery in Singapore later this month.

Rex Southwick, “Querencia”
Unit London
3 Hanover Square
Mayfair
W1S 1HD