STATE OF PLAY

British-born and now London-based, Josh Papa—who also works under the name Deluded Animal—has roots in New Zealand and grew up across Australia, Saudi Arabia, and Amsterdam. This global upbringing informs the eclectic and layered nature of his practice. Papa’s work explores narrative, symbolism, and a modern reinterpretation of a fresco.

Drawing from history, contemporary culture, and personal myth-making, he creates vibrant scenes populated by expressive, hybrid creatures. These figures serve as vessels for open-ended storytelling, blurring the line between the absurd and the allegorical.

Working with bold color and intricate detail—often set against deep black grounds—Papa builds compositions that revel in contrast: playful yet unsettling, chaotic yet precise, ancient yet undeniably current. His paintings operate like visual folklore, dense with imagery that rewards close looking, inviting viewers into worlds where imagination and memory entwine, and where surface playfulness often conceals more complex undercurrents.