Josh Lilley has announced the representation of Jacob Fenton.
Jacob Fenton (b.1999, Los Angeles) explores memory and the constructed self through his paintings in an age of instantaneous media. Fenton removes source imagery from its context to critique post-truth reality, fractured identity and the rise of hyper-individuality – particularly among those raised in the age of the internet. He examines the systems of thought around identity and exposes racial biases in a globalised context.
In 2026, the artist will present his first UK solo exhibition at Josh Lilley in January, followed by a solo booth at Frieze Los Angeles in February.
The artist extends his concern beyond the traditional cultural sphere into the realm of social media and the 24-hour news cycle; the extrapolated language of the Hollywood machine. Sourcing subjects related to conspiracy and the fractured narratives of online discourse, Fenton’s paintings are rendered through an atmospheric lens, blurring its subject and exploring the notion of overexposure, highlighting the dangers in perspective shift that can occur when faith is placed in a ruling mythos. Fenton seeks to reveal the inconsistencies in authority, investigating dynamics of control and domination through his subjects.
Fenton lives and works in Los Angeles, United States. He received his BA from UCLA School of Arts and Architecture, Los Angeles. Fenton has held recent solo exhibitions at Carlye Packer and New Wight Gallery, Los Angeles. Recent group exhibitions include Paranoid Style at Josh Lilley, London; Companions, Van Noord Van Noord; Interdisciplinary, New Wight Gallery and Flags Inaugural Group Show, Flags Studio, Los Angeles. An exhibition catalogue, Usufruct was published by Caryle Packer in 2024.
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