His first works began to appear in the early 2000s on walls around central Paris- stencilled quotations taken from seminal works of the French literary canon- and rather than the widespread acclaim and adulation he had hoped for earned him near-universal condemnation and opprobrium, putting him firmly in the sights of the Gendarmerie Nationale.
Upon his return to Britain in 2014, he recognised that stencilling lofty French literary quotes on walls was probably an unwise career path to embark upon. Heavily influenced by the Stencil Movement that had its roots in 1960 Parisian political protest art, Epi adapted his style, eschewing wall for canvas and reinterpreting the visual zeitgeist with a technique (if one could even call it that..) that would incorporate graffiti, Surrealism, Minimalism, Pop, and mid-century poster art. At the heart of his work lies a deep suspicion of the art establishment- whose ignorance, avarice and capriciousness he has long found abhorrent- and a desire to poke fun at the very métier in which he chooses to make his living.
Upon his return to Britain in 2014, he recognised that stencilling lofty French literary quotes on walls was probably an unwise career path to embark upon. Heavily influenced by the Stencil Movement that had its roots in 1960 Parisian political protest art, Epi adapted his style, eschewing wall for canvas and reinterpreting the visual zeitgeist with a technique (if one could even call it that..) that would incorporate graffiti, Surrealism, Minimalism, Pop, and mid-century poster art. At the heart of his work lies a deep suspicion of the art establishment- whose ignorance, avarice and capriciousness he has long found abhorrent- and a desire to poke fun at the very métier in which he chooses to make his living.
