Collage

Emmanuel Hele first discovered collage in an art appreciation class in the late ‘90s. He was struck by the honest nature of the art form; it felt like an allegory for life - disparate pieces coming together in unpredictable ways to create a strange yet cohesive whole.

At the time, painting and sculpture shared center stage, and for years collage was relegated to the sidelines, making occasional appearances in mixed media works and personal projects. But he had a vision for future works, and over the years he amassed a special collection of materials from abandoned buildings, thrift shops, and junk piles no one else wanted to sort through.

In 2019, disenchanted with the tattoo industry and in need of inspiration, Emmanuel began going through his cache and breathing new life into these pieces of the past; they in turn breathed new life into his creative process. He started with images he felt pulled toward, and strange stories began to unfold. Some pieces seemed absurd; some felt profound; all had something to say. Most importantly, they brought a sense of play back into his art at a time when it seemed like the tattoo world was losing its sense of humor.

Each collage is unique and has tales to tell. Aside from our personal narratives of the images, the materials themselves bring together diverse histories from a variety of places; many originated overseas, many come from urban explorations and other adventures, many date back a century or more.

Emmanuel obtains all pictures and boards from secondhand and post-consumer sources. In addition, he uses post-consumer collage medium when available, making many of his works 100% upcycled.

If you would like to know more about a specific work, please reach out!

Custom mixed media works are available upon request, and can include personal effects and materials of the client’s choosing.

Also available for commissions in other mediums.