Our recent visit In The Studio with Lhouette allowed us to dive deeper into his unique pop art techniques, and his exciting, nostalgic practice!

 

 

Lhouette's practice combines techniques of print, sculpture, painting, and collage within singular works, often featuring recognisable pop culture figures, beloved cartoon characters, and vivid saturated patterns.

When recounting his artistic journey to us, Lhouette reflected on his initial influences: “I was probably more in tune with pop art before street art.” His transition back to art after time in the Navy was catalysed by the vibrant East London art scene. "My brother was living in Brick Lane," he shared, "and that whole East London street art scene, the pop up gallery scene, I just fell in love with it."

Throughout our visit, nostalgia emerged as a recurring theme as Lhouette shared the inspirations behind his works; “It’s a love of retro visuals. I spend a lot of my time when I can going through second hand shops and discovering old things. I’m very much an 80s kid, growing up watching Saturday morning cartoons and losing myself in comic books.” This fondness for vintage aesthetics shines through in his works, which often feature elements from visual media and childhood memories. “Sometimes it just feels right; sometimes these pieces will have a really clear idea or theme,” he noted, emphasising the organic nature of creation. 

 

 

 

Our discussions with Lhouette also revealed his unique engagement with pop culture, highlighting a fascination with the “B-side” of narratives. When discussing his piece 'Misfits', which we recently exhibited at AAF Hong Kong, Lhouette explained that he likes “the unusual and the alternative, especially when it comes to some of the references that I use. When you think of pop culture, the icon, you go towards the main character I suppose, but I like the b-side sometimes, the lesser known characters.”

The 'Misfits' edition is created using individual panels which are pieced together, using a lot of raw, found materials. Talking about the elements of collage throughout the piece, Lhouette shared "the edges are pasted with old books, I’m literally tearing out pages of books and pasting this on, so there will be elements in the print that are not in the original. And this section here [the face] will be a stencil, so I’ve used a section of the original painting to create this. There are lots of different things at play.”

 

 

 

One of the most striking aspects of the studio visit was Lhouette's commitment to using found and recycled materials, as previously mentioned. “I’ll find forklift pallets on the side of the road, industrial throwouts...” The artist emphasised his ongoing exploration of “assembly type designs,” in which the use of everyday materials breathes new life into his creations. 

Many of Lhouette's works are created using stencils, as a nod to his street art inspirations, and these stencils are then saved and repurposed for new pieces. “This particular piece here [pictured below] is a portrait piece," shared Lhouette, "so the canvas is made out of old stencils that have been cut and used for previous projects (…) you can see little moments of historic stuff from previous projects when it’s one piece.”

 

 

 

 

Contrast plays a pivotal role in most of Lhouette's works, as he noted, “I like that raw versus refined.” Examining his work up close reveals that raw elements are often juxtaposed with polished finishes. While reclaimed wood as canvas serves as the raw element, many of the finishes he uses, such as high-polish resins and metallic guilds, create a fascinating contrast. He describes this as “the fine and the grime”, highlighting the tension between different textures and forms. 

 

 

One of the artist's best-known works, and the studio's biggest export, is the 'Angel Cake' series, which also reflects his fondness for contrast. "At a distance, it’s kind of sweet and inviting, but then you get up close, and there’s a little bit more of a sinister theme at play, as they are wielding weapons."

 

 

 

The process of creation at Lhouette’s studio is a multifaceted journey that transforms initial ideas into vibrant works of art. As the artist explains, “It goes through a few processes from the original image by the time it gets to print.” This transformation involves a meticulous layering technique in which elements are collaged to create depth and complexity in the final piece.

In today’s art world, filled with AI-generated works, Lhouette emphasises a hands-on, maximalist approach, with most of his pieces illustrating the idea that “more is more.” 

 

Works from Lhouette are available browse and purchase over on his artist page.