"Walk About The Rice" Painting

B. 1983, New Zealand. Based in Japan. Campbell La Pun is a contemporary artist based in Japan whose work explores the intersection of pop culture, luxury branding and contemporary visual culture. Originally from New Zealand and raised in Australia he studied Media Arts at RMIT University in Melbourne before relocating to Japan, where he developed the distinctive stencil based practice for which he is known today. Working primarily with hand cut stencils, spray paint and silkscreen processes on wood and canvas, La Pun transforms globally recognised icons into layered compositions that blur the boundaries between fine art, advertising and consumer culture. Drawing from both Eastern and Western influences, his works recontextualise familiar imagery through a process that is simultaneously meticulous, labour intensive and visually immediate. Alongside his studio practice, La Pun has collaborated with luxury brands, wine estates and hospitality groups, creating original works and special projects that extend his visual language beyond the gallery space. His work has been exhibited internationally across four continents and collected worldwide by private collectors, corporate collections and figures within the luxury and entertainment industries. Through vibrant colour, scale and craftsmanship, his work examines the power of cultural symbols and the ways in which brands, objects and imagery become embedded in contemporary life.