We are living through a rapid normalisation of AI. What once felt experimental now feels habitual. Quietly, almost imperceptibly, but quickly and voraciously, new technologies are reshaping our lives. This project, “Sweet Artificiality”, reflects on that shift.

Balloons appear throughout the series as a central symbol. They are bright, seductive, and celebratory — yet undeniably synthetic. Their smooth surfaces and fragile tension hold both joy and instability. In these works, balloons embody uncertainty: something inflated, suspended, and temporary.
In contrast, insects inhabit the compositions as signs of life. They reference the tradition of Old Master still lifes, where flies, beetles, and other small creatures served as reminders of mortality — Memento Mori. In “Sweet Artificiality,” insects return as witnesses. They crawl across artificial forms, grounding the image in biological reality. They ask: what remains alive when everything becomes simulated?

Materiality reinforces this tension. Each painting begins with an acrylic base — a synthetic foundation — layered with oil paint above it. Oil, with its depth and tactility, carries centuries of tradition. It is slow, physical, and human. Placing oil over acrylic becomes both technical and symbolic: the natural layered over the artificial, history resting upon innovation.

“Sweet Artificiality” does not argue against technology. Instead, it examines our emotional relationship with it. It asks why we find comfort in simulations. In a world increasingly mediated by artificial systems, this project offers a moment of reflection: What makes life different from non-existence? What remains unmistakably human? And what is life at the end?