Rex Southwick's highly saturated, hyperreal paintings explore the reality behind creating a 'perfect' life

In his latest series, artist Rex Southwick hopes to enlighten us. Urging us to step away from Instagram and instead confront the reality behind the aspirational lifestyle, his highly saturated, hyperreal large-scale paintings show a different perspective.

Working to photographs he has taken of building sites, his vibrant, dream-like artworks feature construction workers, confronting our "seemingly endless stream of idealised domestic environments found on digital platforms". It's a reality check for those of us who have forgotten that 'perfection' doesn't really exist.

The collection will go on display at Unit London from 12 July until 3 August. Entitled Querencia, the exhibition's title – which is referred to in Ernest Hemingway’s Death in the Afternoon (1932) as 'a preferred locality' – Southwick’s paintings manifest the sinister undercurrents in our desire for safety, luxury and the domestic dream.

Rex Southwick attended the Glasgow School of Art and graduated from Leeds Arts University in Fine Art before receiving the AON Community Art Award earlier this year as an alumnus. His work is included in a number of recognised private collections, notably The Franks-Suss Collection. Discover more at rexsouthwick.com.