ARTIST STATEMENT

KASH OUT is a visual journey into a world of stark contrasts, where the hungry and greedy devour each other to survive. Each artwork from the series captures the relentless pursuit of profit at the expense of humanity. For Boytchie, this body of work operates in a three-fold way: firstly, as an attempt to capture the feelings of desperation and anxiety of hustle culture. Secondly, to comment on the hyper-individualism and greed that permeate our society. Thirdly, how we complacently witness capitalistic violence, both digitally and in real life.

Hustle culture sings the song of incessant productivity, ambition, and the pursuit of success in both the form of upward social mobility and the accumulation of objects of desire. In the world of KASH OUT, everyone is greedy, fearful, and anxious. Boytchie's paintings and sculptures are filled with twisted faces and angular shapes that serve as a reflection on how our contemporary world cages us into the system of capitalism. The subjects are in an eternal battle for “the bag." They only care about themselves and will do whatever it takes to get what they want, even if it belongs to someone else.

For Boytchie, KASH OUT is an attempt at capturing the nonstop greed, hyper-individualism, egomania, and mercilessness of the grind. The work is a mirror of the world, capturing how capitalism systemically gives birth to more and more greed and despair. The works don't offer a solution or an alternative to the ways humanity continues to kill each other. There is no promise of a hopeful future or any utopian change. There is just an air of hopelessness. Through mark-making, saturated colours, and tragically violent iconography, Boytchie’s work speaks to how we can be bombarded with violence, death, and suffering to the point of near dissociation.

ARTIST BIOGRAPHY

Boytchie (AKA Phillip Richard Jannecke-Newman) is a contemporary artist working in painting, drawing, and sculpture. His work draws from Neo-expressionism, Romanticism, Impressionism, and anime. The artist’s studio becomes a generative space for experimentation and play. His fluid approach to self-expression stems from his drawings, breathing life into his creations. Experimentation is a huge part of Boytchie’s process, with the artist constantly pushing himself creatively. For Boytchie, drawing is the foundation of his studio practice. From this point he dips into other disciplines ranging from painting, sculpture, installation, and film.

Boytchie writes: “As an artist, I want my work to misbehave.”

Boytchie was born in 2000 and grew up in Kuils River, South Africa. He always had an aptitude for art. From a young age, he took part in art competitions. He continued his visual art studies in high school, graduating in 2018. He then went to study visual art at Stellenbosch University, completing his Honours in Fine Arts in 2022. Since then he has been part of numerous group exhibitions, has had four solo exhibitions, and has taken part in the RMB Latitudes Art Fair in Johannesburg.