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.