Artwork

Playfully, Deepey's art calls on to viewers to consider the various forms of escapism and deception we experience in our daily lives.

Before university, Deepey made digital hyperrealistic self-portraits and was often complimented for his “brilliant photographs” by viewers who didn’t realise Deepey’s images had been painted. Inspired by this unwitting act of illusion, Deepey went on to create Tryumph, a multi-media remedial brand selling resin-filled bottles of pure emotion. With its clinical aesthetic reminiscent of brands like Pantone and Off-White, Tryumph is “purely original for its unoriginality.” Its pop-up stores are both clinical and chic, with artists performing as staff in Tryumph-branded lab coats offering placebo purchases. 

Currently, Deepey is busy developing and defining the Tryumph brand. “The whole point of this style is to point inward,” he explains, “and to direct the viewer to a lack of creativity within the project and the wider contemporary arts.”

Deepey is testing how far he can push Tryumph’s vacuousness and unoriginality: his colours, fonts, formatting, printing and programming are all taken from other products or executed by other individuals. Taking a leaf from Andy Warhol's approach, Deepey is careful not have a hand in anything himself. He is fascinated by how brands operate, how they influence our lives and how they link themselves to creativity and cultural assets. “My goal is to make a physically realised concept that is all about the brand performance and not the actual product.”

Having graduated in 2021 from Nottingham Trent University with an Exceptional First in Fine Art, Deepey is looking to secure funding and gain visibility as an artist. His degree show installation was shortlisted for the Global Design Graduate Show for favourite artist, he is also working on musical collaborations and a solo show later this year. Most importantly, he wants to carry on expanding Tryumph, and making its illusion of commercialised escapism even more convincing; a Tryumph manifesto, website and fashion-uniform are on their way.