Happy Shopper by James Green

Happy Shopper (40 x 40cm, mixed media on paper) by James Green is a raw, introspective work that reanimates the spirit of his early post-art school years—a period marked by uncertainty, creative urgency, and emotional dislocation. Emerging originally from his Happy Shoppers series, the piece confronts the sterile routine of consumer life, capturing the unsettling disconnect of people mechanically navigating daily life without joy or presence. Far from decorative, the work is emotionally charged, layered, and self-reflective.

True to Green’s signature style—marked by expressive texture, ambiguous forms, and a tension between chaos and control—the painting channels the artist’s enduring pursuit of authenticity. Ten years on, Green returns to this theme not out of nostalgia, but because the emotional undercurrents he first explored remain hauntingly relevant. Happy Shopper becomes both a personal and societal mirror, posing the same unresolvable question: Do you feel it too?

This piece is being exhibited in our Revival exhibition from 24th April – 30 May 2025. All work purchased will not be dispatched until the exhibition closes.