Paul Insect’s vibrant and intricately layered collages showcase cropped portraits, patterned color fields, benday dots, and embellishments such as diamond dust and glitter. The artist, who was born and resides in the U.K. and chooses to maintain anonymity, gained recognition as a member of the “insect” artist collective, which was active from 1996 to 2005. Insect's significant breakthrough occurred in 2007 when Damien Hirst reportedly purchased the entirety of the artist’s solo exhibition prior to its opening at Lazarides Gallery in London. Hirst is not the only admirer; Insect has displayed his work in various galleries across New York and London, and his art was featured in Banksy’s 2015 pop-up exhibition “Dismaland” as well as Roger Gastman’s 2018 traveling street art exhibition “Beyond the Streets.”
