Hyperreality, A Modern God - 9" x 12"

This is ‘Hyperreality,’ the deity of simulacra and simulation in our world, of fake news and illusions in this exploration of our contemporary gods. Unlike Doomscroll, a minor deity, Hyperreality is a major contemporary god of our era—often unnoticed or unseen.

This piece was inspired by Jean Baudrillard, the French sociologist and philosopher who authored Simulacra and Simulation. I first explored this book as an immigrant in high school in Coral Springs, FL, after watching The Matrix multiple times. Baudrillard suggests that we live in an era where reality has been replaced by symbols and representations of reality. I see this idea further entrenched in the digital age, culminating in a ‘post-truth’ society. In this context, we inhabit a continuous existential crisis, living within a manufactured and distorted reality.