Bijijoo

About

This March, Saatchi Yates is proud to present the inaugural solo exhibition of American TikTok sensation Michael Todd Horne - known as Bijijoo (b. 1975), with a select number of new works delving into his personal world of monsters and characters that garnered him a cult following since joining the platform in March 2021.

A zoo-like array of large-scale paintings sees amorphous, colour-drenched monsters emerge at Saatchi Yates, some with an unsettling glee reminiscent of the wonder and dread felt towards the unknown in childhood. Off-kilter in their gait and proportions, they lurch towards the boundaries of the canvas, and tap into nostalgia.

Bijijoo’s paintings result from process-driven experimentation with painting media and automatic drawing, using traditional and digital techniques. He builds mixed media layers to amplify interplays of light, colour, and texture. Images are conjured from chaos, in a process akin to divination. The forms that take shape trend toward human and animal: grotesque exaggerations of life, monstrous cartoons, vanitas. Narratives emerge through these interactions, reflecting struggle, celebration, and introspection. The results depict experiences, interactions, and movements frozen in a personal space and time.