Simon Fujiwara Ceci n'est pas une un Who? (Reclining Baer), 2023

Ceci n'est pas une un Who? (Reclining Baer) is from Simon Fujiwara's series of works recreating iconic art works by famous, historically significant artists through the perspective of his cartoon figure Who the Bær.

Executed in pastel, charcoal and paper collage, the work depicts Who the Baer reclining on a wooden pipe, wearing a pair of blue jeans and holding a bowler hat with one arm raised. Presented with bear ears, the pipe is overflowing with honey, which spills over the edge. The work references René Magritte’s 1929 painting, The Treachery of Images (This is Not a Pipe). One of the most influential members of the Surrealist movement, Magritte is known for his depictions of everyday objects in unfamiliar, unexpected contexts that prompt questions about the boundaries of reality and representation. Inspired by a wide range of philosophers including Hegel, Martin Heidegger, Jean-Paul Sartre and Michel Foucault, his works sought to play with perception as well as investigate the relationship between text and image, often distrupting established connections between the two. His work had a major influence on American and European artists of the post-war generation, particularly on movements such as Pop Art and Minimalism.