Hiones (XX-XXI) - Not Found

Collector's Item.
100% handmade painted on cotton canvas.
Work shipped unframed, in a DHL Express expedition tube.
Accompanied by COA, certificate of authenticity signed by the artist.

Not Found is built as a collision field between identity, visual culture, and digital language. At the center of the composition, a hyper-realistic eye fixes the viewer, establishing a direct and quasi-uneasy point of contact. Yet, this human presence is immediately fragmented by an overlay of elements belonging to distinct universes: pop culture icons, urban graffiti, pixelated references, and visual codes inherent to the digital environment.

The partial filled name tag — “hello my name is” — introduces an explicit layer of identification, but also of fault. The name, erased and illegible, becomes a gesture of denial, suggesting a subject who escapes definition or who has been erased in the process. The title, Not Found, reinforces this idea of systemic error: an identity that should be accessible but cannot be retrieved.

The composition operates through layers and interruptions. The gaze, traditionally representing awareness and presence, is here mediated by external signs — recognizable characters, graphic forms, and visual fragments that function as filters or masks. These elements not only conceal but also construct the presented identity, raising the question: to what extent is the contemporary “self” a sum of external references?

The presence of pixelated elements creates a direct bridge to the digital universe, evoking low resolution, compression, and error. In contrast, the realism of the eye maintains a physical, almost biological anchor, generating a tension between the organic and the artificial. This confrontation is amplified by the language of graffiti and sticker culture, which introduces urgency, appropriation, and intervention.

Not Found thus positions itself as a commentary on the fragmentation of identity in the era of visual overload. Between the visible and the hidden, between the real and the built, the work suggests that what we seek to define as “self” may no longer exist as a unit—but rather as an unstable system of layers, constantly updating, erring, and reconfiguring.

About Hione

Hione is a visual artist from Porto who, since 2013, uses graffiti as his main form of expression. With a visual language marked by vibrant colors and defined shapes, his work reflects a strong connection to urban culture. Throughout his career, he has developed a unique style that fuses graffiti, contemporary art, illustration, and graphic design. He presents his works in public and private contexts, with the goal of provoking reflection and inspiring. Today he continues to explore new figurative approaches and to deepen the impact of his art in the space around him.