David Hancock: Cosplay

About

Manchester-based artist David Hancock explores the world of youth sub- cultures through his series based on Cosplayers. Characters from Japanese Manga and Animé are brought to life in these beautiful photo-realist style paintings. He is interested in the psychological gap between the real and imagined world as experienced by the young people who engage in this form of escapism. By taking their characters into the urban environments they transfer the ordinary into a world on imagination and fantasy. Although the subject is modern the style is rooted in the romantic traditions of the Pre-Raphaelites, with each fold of fabric and every piece of foliage rendered on startling detail. The exhibition includes new works, featuring local Cosplayers in various sites around the city.