Mauro C. Martinez at Brownie Project, Shanghai

Unit London are delighted to announce Mauro Martinez’s first solo presentation with BROWNIE Project Shanghai. Titled Le Premier Homme, the name derives from Albert Camus’ biography ‘The First Man’. The show is a natural continuation of the work seen in Martinez’s previous solo presentation with Unit London, The Last Man, and is available to view from the 29th of July until the 11th of September.

‘The First Man’ is concerned with Camus’ central philosophy: embracing the absurd. The ‘absurd’ being that life has no meaning other than what people create. It is a philosophy that is particularly relevant when confronted with Martinez’s works, which utilise cultural absurdity to confront the most pressing themes in the digital age: communication and dissemination.

Le Premier Homme centres around the use of emojis as a continuously evolving visual language. With each new technological development, a new iteration of the language is created. Emojis, acting as powerful catalysts, facilitate shared experiences and transcend linguistic boundaries, connecting individuals across generations and cultures. In an era increasingly reliant on digital interactions, these symbols embody a shift toward a burgeoning online global monoculture. Martinez’s technically skilled approach to painting underpins the vibrancy of the work. Carefully crafted compositions are intended to not only convey emotion, as an emoji does, but to provoke emotion too. With this work Martinez taps into a universal visual language that is always in flux, but is universally understood.

BROWNIE Project is committed to exploring the innovation and social impact of contemporary art.

Their 600m² gallery space supports and promotes artists who apply exceptionally ground-breaking concepts and art forms. The gallery is in constant collaboration with curators, institutions, collectors and brands to consistently further the possibilities of how we experience of art. Mauro Martinez’s work is on view at:

Block 6, M50 Creative Park
No.50 Moganshan Road
Putuo District, Shanghai