“Nicole at Reno’s”, Ryan Falzon (MT)⎢MI19/113/4 ,

Ryan Falzon is a painter and printmaker based between Malta and Berlin. His works are found in a number of private and public collections in Europe and the USA.

Via the portrayal of contemporary lifestyle and scenery, Ryan Falzon’s figurative serigraphies merge political and personal statements. He explores the relationship between social media, self worth and sexuality.

He primarily does this by representing selfies, which resemble the ones found on social media. The women are portrayed in somewhat sexual poses. For him, personal content posted with a sexual appeal is directly linked to ideas of self worth. Indeed, on social media, an image usually gains more attention when it is sexual. In our contemporary society, individuals directly link their self-confidence to social media, and the popularity they can acquire on these platforms. Sexuality is often a way to achieve this popularity, as it appeals to a large audience. For him, these “sexual promises” are “often empty” (Falzon, 2019). This lie mirrors the general deceptive life created through the window display of social media, where, what seem to be perfect lives, are put on show. The bright diverse colours used in the works mirror this enchanting and captivating fake world.