Cane-Yo artists set for London exhibition

Local artist Karl Ullger will be exhibiting his works in Peckham, London as part of international artist collective Cane-Yo which opens on Thursday for four days. The exhibition called We met on the internet features over 30 artists and will be held in Copeland Park Gallery. The exhibition is being curated by artists and organisers, Peter Salmi and Nicole Debono. The Chronicle spoke to Peter and Nicole about the upcoming exhibition.

1. Tell us a little bit about the background of Cane-Yo and how it all started?

Nicole – Cane-Yo began almost organically five years ago as a loose network of painters and image-makers who found one another through Telegram chats, Instagram, memes and shared fascination with painting technique.
Rather than emerging from an institution or gallery, it was born online, a punk-DIY image-sharing forum if you will, where anyone could drop in, post a work-in-progress screenshot or selfie reference, and swap tips.
Over time, that open chatroom coalesced into a collective: today we’re a digital-born international community of over 2,500 members, with a core group of about 25 artists who take part in regular critiques, collaborations and exhibitions.
What unites us is a drive to slow down the speed and saturation of “screen culture” by translating digital ephemera into physical paintings, drawings and mixed-media works, so what started as shared sketches and memes has grown into an ongoing, global dialogue about how the internet shapes contemporary image-making.

2. There have been some previous Cane-Yo community/ collective shows in the past eg Belgium and here in Gibraltar but what makes this one different and more special?

Peter – This is certainly going to be the biggest, and hopefully best, exhibition we’re put on to date.
We were lucky enough to secure the support of the Copeland Gallery through their Emerging Artist programme which gives us access to a wonderful post-industrial space that allows each artist to show multiple, and sometimes larger, works.
Peckham is a buzzing area with so many things going on culturally and it’s a really exciting place for us to show at.

3. What has inspired you both to put together this Cane-Yo show after two years from the previous one? We hear that there may be some workshops as well being offered?

Peter - Oh it was definitely time.
Individual artists like Alex Wilby have put on solo shows in the meantime while others have had works chosen for prestigious open entry.
A show featuring so many international artists takes a lot of organising and preparation but when the chance to submit to show at one of my favourite London galleries came up, we had to go for it.
Some of our members will be putting on workshops and painting demonstrations throughout the weekend.
Neil Cunning has a successful YouTube channel and he’ll be showing how he creates a portrait from a photograph.
The truly inspirational Hillary Butterworth will be doing a workshop on colour and imagination in oils while Patrizio Volpini will host ‘the artist as tattooist’ as he creates truly original flash designs.

4. How many artists and countries are being represented in this coming show?

Peter - There are 36 artists showing.
I’m not going to count up exactly how many but if I start with Iran, the USA, Armenia, France, Finland, Italy, Germany and, of course the UK and Gibraltar, it’s by no means exhaustive.
Many of the artists are travelling to the show which is so exciting.
We talk daily as a collective but the chance to see each other and show our works in real life is wonderful.
It’s hugely stimulating and we’re always keen to involve more artists within our community at whatever level of artistic expertise.
At present there are over 2,500 in our wider circle.

5. In terms of styles and mediums, what are we going to be treated to in this Cane-Yo Show?

Nicole - This exhibition brings together the full breadth of our digital-to-analogue practice, from richly wrought oil and acrylic paintings that riff on screenshots, selfies and found imagery, each a painted meditation on contemporary image culture, to intimate process material, including graphite sketches, annotated printouts and collage fragments that reveal the artists’ working methods.
You’ll also encounter prints, zines and screen-based pieces that blend traditional mark-making with digital editing tools, underscoring Cane-Yo’s roots in online image-sharing, and have the chance to witness live demonstrations and workshops which Peter has already mentioned earlier.

6. Apart from original paintings and drawings, will there be any other things for sale?

Peter – There will be a selection of prints, zines and a full cover catalogue of the works in the show available to purchase. All bargains!

7. Having local and international artist Karl Ullger involved once again with the Cane-Yo group is great for Gibraltar and putting Gibraltar even more on the cultural map, but in your eyes what does his style bring to the Cane-Yo show?

Peter - Karl always brings a great enthusiasm and willingness to share his expertise with artists at all levels within the wider Cane-yo community and can move easily between portraiture and his well-known street landscapes.

8. Question for Nicole: You yourself exhibited in Gibraltar in 2023 & actually visited the Rock. What did you think and will you be returning to exhibit your art again?

Nicole – Coming from Malta, visiting Gibraltar felt very familiar since Gibraltar has the same interplay of British and Mediterranean influences that we share back home.
Exhibiting in Gibraltar was also a very unique experience since the art scene there is pretty much community led as well. Indeed, I would love to return given the opportunity!

9. What Next for Cane-Yo and its community/ collective?
Peter- We’ll be putting on a similarly large scale show in Berlin in Spring 2026.
As well as exhibiting the work of the core collective members, the physical shows give us an opportunity to involve more people in our ever growing wider creative community wherever they may live.