Dion Cupido has come a long way from being a teenager doing graffiti on walls in the Cape Flats to the artist who is about to have his first solo exhibition at a city gallery.
His exhibition titled Perceptions of beauty will be on show at the Worldart gallery (54 Church Street) from 13-27 February.
"Our perceptions of celebrities are mostly influenced by the images and information that we are exposed to through the various media that we consume – willingly and unwillingly. Besides the limited information that it offers, there is also a decision aspect at work, meaning that we are exposed to someone else's perception or decision of what we will like or appreciate" says Cupido.
Throw into the mix recent controversies where a white model was painted black (Lara Stone) and a black model painted even blacker (Jourdan Dunn) and it gets really interesting. Cupido's Afro-Pop portraits featuring celebrities like Rihanna, Beyoncé, Alek Wek and even Oprah, were all painted in the context of these issues.
Cupido works with ink and paint on both canvas and wood. He is currently a resident at the Good Hope Art Studios in Cape Town.
Artist: Dion Cupido
Title of show: Perceptions of beauty
Venue: Worldart Gallery, 54 Church Street, Cape Town Dates: 13 February – 25 February 2012
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