Wednesday 25th February

Not many people can say they have put together a collection of work ready for their debut at the age of 20. But Joe Holbrook is one of the few that can. Coming from a south London borough he brings us "21", a series of portraits from the night life which we all love and can relate to. His paintings focus on the body of his chosen subjects showing how body posture, and the garments which we wear often say a lot about us. All his canvases are painted in acrylic, then covered in a clear resin, giving the impression it is finished with a layer of glass. "I also do this to freeze the painting in time almost, to capture what stage i was at in my level of painting, and to stop me working back into at a later date."

After narrowly missing a prison sentence in 2008 for criminal damage, he found himself under probation doing 240 hours of community service and hit with a £2500 fine. Uni was now out of the question. So Joe decided to go it alone and teach himself how to better his painting through trial and error, and his obvious natural talent. "I've learnt no one can teach you your style, just you, and vice versa. However accepting your style is the hardest thing to overcome." Having to work two part-time jobs and finish his punishment has made it a challenging year for Joe, but he still presents us with his debut exhibition which is a huge achievement for any young artist. I get the feeling this is just the beginning for him.
"I dunno what the future holds, but I'm never gonna stop painting. I'm a bit bored of body portraits so I'm gonna give that a rest for a little while. I've got much stronger new ideas ready though I can tell you that! Ask my mates Josh or Jimmy. As for graffiti I'm never gonna be done with that either haha! It's too much fun, my fingers have been itching for the last year! I see it as more of a disability or mental illness haha!...............definitely!"

Joe Holbrook's debut '21' is being held at the Bodhi Gallery, Brick Lane, London, E1
7pm onwards
25 February - 4 March 2009