A painted woman with an upside down smile on a yellow/orange background, with two white jugs on the background behind her.

Face Oka

Water makes up most of the human body (yellow)

€800

Artwork

Edition of 40

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Face Oka parodies the classic pin-up with a tongue-in-cheek take on portraiture.

Oka's fondness for vibrant colour is realised in four fluorescent finishes, each drawing focus to the hourglass figure of a doll-like woman. She’s smiling, but only because her simply-drawn face is upside down – suggesting discomfort with her objectification. A pair of jugs contribute to an assembly of visual puns that gradually reveal themselves upon inspection.

A mocking tableau, Water makes up most of the human body embodies Oka's distinctive sense of humour and exploration of overt sexuality.

Join us on Avant Arte Collective on September 15th to be guided through the production process by printmaker Tom. Face Oka will join the event to answer your questions and discuss the edition.

Behind the scenes

Face Oka standing in front of a wall with his paintings

Face Oka4 collaborationsFace Oka translates the world around him into a distinct, comical style. He borrows figures from adverts and cartoons, giving each a solid black outline. Sometimes people are reduced to graphic shapes and colours, while others are painted more realistically. Regardless, everyone is given Oka’s signature smiley face, either the right or wrong way up. Although his work appears digital, he actually paints with acrylic on canvas. Citing manga as an early influence, his comic book style is reminiscent of Pop artists like Roy Lichtenstein, and later Keith Haring. Graffiti and skate culture have a clear impact on his paintings, like the work of skater-turned-artist Mark Gonzales. In 2018, Oka also released a book of paintings, Dear Larry Clark... , based on the photographers’ documentation of skate culture.

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Reviews from Avant collectors

Excellent service from Avant Arte! Thank you!
Review of Inner Love
Every detail about this work is brilliant, especially the work itself. Thank you for bringing an incredible talent pool of artists to the public.
Review of Scaffold
Notifications and packaging were spot on. I will definitely make future purchases.
Review of Iris
Excellent experience from start to finish.
Review of Portrait of Francis Bacon
Beautifully printed piece. Nice touch on the bag and gloves. Thank you for your efficiency and timely updates.
Review of Actual Size
the experience and artwork far exceeded my expectations.
Review of "The only bond worth anything between human beings is their humanness."
From start to finish, the process of purchasing, claiming the NFT counterpart, and receiving the framed piece was nothing short of excellent. My entire experience with Avant Arte displayed a level of professionalism and excellence across the board. Well done!
Review of Ringers #962: The LACMA Iterations
I loved the purchasing experience, and the artwork I ended up with. I would definitely come back for future art purchases :)
Review of Actual Size

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