KCR Summer 2025 Mag V2 - Flipbook - Page 10
Mr Controversial’s Customised Luxury Car at
‘The Billionaire’s Series
Specialising in Contemporary Art, Waran’s Fine Art’s mission is to
break down barriers and open the doors of the 昀椀ne art market, allowing
everyone to appreciate and acquire extraordinary works of art. Their
transparent, e昀케cient approach simpli昀椀es the process of buying and
selling artworks, ensuring a seamless experience. Mr. Controversial
is an exceptionally unique mixed media artist, celebrated not just for
his edgy concepts but also for his innovative execution across a myriad
of techniques. He de昀椀es convention, 昀氀uidly transitioning between
hand-painted acrylics and oils, digital art, graphic design, photography,
and silkscreen processes and has a Warholesque edge to him.
His experimental studio subverts traditional production methods,
allowing for the creation of diverse and evolving artworks. He likens his
creative journey to “a constant to and fro, a wrestling match between
analogue and digital techniques,” facilitating continuous evolution in
his work. Known for viral art that cleverly marries vintage pulp imagery
with humorous, relatable captions, his latest typographical oil paintings tackle bold themes of aspiration and societal constructs. Drawing
from a rich background in advertising, his art now serves as a satirical
commentary on modern life, encouraging viewers to confront their inner
selves and societal façades. We spoke to him about his art as he looks to
unveil his new body of work exclusively at Warans launching 5th June
and lasting until 5th July.
Q: Your work thrives on irony and satire—what sparked the
idea for The Billionaires Series, and what made you want to
launch it at this speci昀椀c moment in time?
It started with that tension - we all despise what we desire. We mock the
£700 glasses, but deep down, we want them too.
The series pokes fun at this toxic hustle culture and the self-development trap where it never feels like you’re doing enough. You’re chasing
wealth, status, validation. But are we even willing to make the sacri昀椀ces
it takes to get there? The time, the pressure, the burnout. That’s what
the work is really asking. It’s satire, but it’s also a mirror.
Q: You describe this body of work as un昀氀inching and primal.
How do you balance aesthetic appeal with raw, often uncomfortable commentary on wealth and power?
I break each piece down into layers, visually and conceptually. At the
core is a striking, symbolic “hero” image, something beautiful and
aspirational. Then I combine that with raw, ironic commentary pulled
from real life.
The process itself is just as layered: I use a mix of silk screen printing,
oil painting, and spray paint to give depth and texture. It’s got to look
amazing in someone’s home and start a conversation.
I’m speaking to people who live inside this modern pressure cooker of
hustle culture, social status, and constant performance. The people it
speaks to, it really speaks to and that’s who I want to target. That’s why
my work isn’t for everyone. It’s for a very speci昀椀c type of collector. Often
people love my work because they spot the irony and draw comparisons
with their own life journey.
Q: Do you see yourself as part of the elite world you’re critiquing—or more of an outsider holding up a mirror?
De昀椀nitely not part of it. I see myself as an outsider holding up a mirror
but not in a deeply serious or anti-establishment way. The work critiques and ridicules the system, but at the same time, I’m drawn to it.
Many of my clients are part of the world I’m re昀氀ecting on. So the work
becomes a conversation about aspiration, about what it really takes to
reach that level, and the sacri昀椀ces required. The question becomes: what
are you willing to give up, and who are you willing to become?
Q: Much of your work stems from a background in advertising. How has that shaped your understanding of how we
consume both luxury and identity?
My background in advertising trained me to always ask: who is this for,
and why will they care? It was all about relatability, and humour was
often the most e昀昀ective tool to achieve that.
In terms of luxury and identity, advertising taught me that consumption
is rarely about the object itself, it’s about what it says about you. It plays
heavily on our sense of inadequacy.
KENSINGTON & CHELSEA REVIEW
Luxury brands know this and use it to reinforce the idea that we need
to level up. And that’s something I explore directly in my work. That
tension between who you are, who you’re told you should be and the
pressure you put on yourself to try and be THAT “idealised” person,
that’s where my background in advertising really feeds into the work.
Q: You’ve called your practice a “wrestling match between analogue and digital.” How does that creative tension manifest
in this particular series?
That tension plays out in almost every part of my process. I’ll start with
something digital - like photographing a pair of my old, professional
boxing gloves or scanning a 35mm negative I found at a boot sale - then
run it through a very manual, analogue process. It goes from digital
photography into silk screen printing, using traditional Warhol-style
exposure and ink-pushing techniques. Then I layer oil paint, oil pastel,
or spray paint by hand. Sometimes it even goes back under the screen
again.
Each piece is a back-and-forth between digital input and physical
labour. The result is always a fusion of digital precision and analogue
rawness.
Q: Some people have called you “the British Andy Warhol”—
do you embrace that comparison, or are you actively trying to
carve out a new kind of pop-cultural commentary?
It’s a 昀氀attering comparison, and I can see why people make it—particularly with the silk screen work and the production-led approach. Like
Warhol, I’ve built a creative studio that functions almost like a production house. There’s a strong entrepreneurial side to what I do, just as
there was with Warhol, he wasn’t just an artist, he was a brand, and a
sharp businessman.
That said, I’m not trying to replicate him. If Warhol was 36, mixed race,
living in London in 2025, responding to the chaos of modern culture
then maybe he’d be doing something like this. But I’m carving my own
path. My work is rooted in today’s social commentary, internet culture,
and personal experience. So while I respect the comparison, what I’m
building is very much its own thing.
Q: If The Billionaires Series could change how one person
thinks about success or ambition, what would you want that
takeaway to be?
I’d want them to question the cost of chasing success. I call it “selling the
dream, living the nightmare.” It might look like I’ve made it, but behind
the scenes, it’s stress, fear, and the constant pressure to keep up. You hit
milestones, but there’s never time to celebrate - you just keep running.
If someone walks away from my work and starts to think di昀昀erently
about what success really means, that’s enough. Because sometimes, it’s
not about the millions or the mansion. If you’ve got your health, a roof
over your head, food in the fridge, you’re doing better than you think.
Q: You’ve just signed an exclusivity deal with Warans Fine
Art. This is a big step - what made you choose this gallery to
represent you?
It’s a massive step. Waran’s understands what I do, they get that I’m not
for everyone. My work is disruptive, and they’re not trying to water that
down. They’ve always backed the vision. Now with their new physical
gallery space opening in Chelsea, I’m ready to commit exclusively and
let them take it to the next level. Now it’s about stepping into the highend 昀椀ne art space, elevating value, securing major brand collaborations,
and expanding internationally. This deal gives me space to breathe, to
create more ambitious work and elevate the Mr Controversial brand and
studio to another level. That’s the next chapter.
Waran’s Fine Art 302 - 304 Fulham Road and opening times.
www.warans昀椀neart.co.uk
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