Painting identity in the age of the digital image
In an era shaped by digital imagery, artificial intelligence and the constant circulation of self-representation, identity is no longer fixed, but continuously constructed, edited and redefined. In this conversation, Romeo Bud reflects on a practice that sits between tradition and technological shift, using painting to examine the evolving nature of the human condition.
At the core of his work is an exploration of the relationship between the organic and the artificial, expressed through the profound transformations contemporary identity is undergoing. Working at the intersection of body, memory and system, he investigates how technology, artificial structures and mechanisms of control reshape perceptions of self, time and human connection.
Working primarily in oil, his practice moves between figurative and abstract forms. His figurative works centre on posthuman representations, hybridised bodies in states of transition, where flesh and mechanism coexist without conflict. These figures do not imagine a distant future, but reflect an already active condition, where technology has become an extension of perception, memory and decision. Themes of perfection, immortality, fragmentation and the loss of intimacy run throughout, questioning what remains of the self within increasingly mediated systems.
Alongside this, his abstract works function as fragments of memory. Built through modular structures, worn surfaces and industrial traces, they form affective archives rather than defined spaces, where experience and time are layered into material and rhythm. Across both approaches, Bud resists narrative resolution, instead creating spaces for reflection that slow the pace of contemporary life and invite deeper consideration of progress and its consequences.
Rather than offering answers, his work holds tension, asking what we lose as we optimise, what remains of the human when identity becomes replicable, and what value memory holds in a world defined by continuous updating.
Are you self-taught, or did you undertake formal artistic training?
I undertook formal artistic training, studying fine art and later completing a master’s degree in painting. Those years gave me a solid technical foundation, but more importantly, they taught me how to think through painting, how to question images, not just produce them.
At the same time, I never felt fully defined by academic structures. Much of my direction came from outside the classroom, through personal exploration and a growing interest in how technology, digital imagery and artificial intelligence reshape the way we construct identity.
In this sense, my practice sits between discipline and independence. I work with a classical medium, but my concerns are rooted in a reality that is constantly shifting, unstable and increasingly mediated.
How would you define your visual language or conceptual approach?
My work explores the instability of identity in a world shaped by digital imagery, social media and artificial intelligence. I am interested in how the self is no longer something fixed, but something constructed, edited and continuously redefined through images.
Visually, I combine elements of the human figure with mechanical or synthetic structures, creating hybrid forms that exist between the organic and the artificial. These figures are not futuristic projections, but reflections of a present condition, where technology already acts as an extension of perception, memory and identity.
Conceptually, my approach is rooted in a posthuman perspective. I see the human not as a stable centre, but as something in transition, both creator and product of its own systems. Through painting, I try to capture this tension between what we are, what we present and what we are becoming.
Can you describe your creative process from conception to completion?
My process usually begins with a question rather than an image. I start from a conceptual tension, often related to identity, technology or the way we construct ourselves through images, and only later translate it into a visual form.
I work through sketches and digital references, building a structure for the composition, but I try to leave space for uncertainty. The image evolves during the act of painting, where decisions are constantly adjusted, erased or reconfigured.
Working in oil allows me to slow the process down. It creates a contrast with the fast, instantaneous nature of digital imagery, forcing me to spend time with each layer. In this way, the final painting is not just an image, but the result of accumulation, corrections, hesitations and shifts in direction.
For me, completion is never absolute. A work feels finished when the tension that initiated it is still present, but no longer needs to be resolved.
Does narrative, symbolism, or storytelling play a role within your work?
Narrative in my work is not linear, but implied. I am less interested in telling a story and more in constructing a situation, an image that suggests a psychological or conceptual state.
Symbolism plays a central role, though it is often ambiguous. Elements such as mechanical structures, fragmented bodies or artificial interfaces function as signs of transformation, pointing towards a reality where identity is no longer stable or entirely human.
Rather than offering clear meanings, I prefer to create a space for interpretation. The viewer is not guided through a fixed narrative, but confronted with an image that reflects broader tensions between organic and artificial, presence and representation, self and projection.
In this sense, storytelling becomes internal. It happens in the encounter between the image and the viewer, not within the image itself.
Which artists have most influenced you historically or contemporarily, and why?
I am drawn to artists who question the body and identity as unstable constructs. Historically, figures like Francis Bacon influenced me through their ability to distort the human figure in order to reveal psychological depth, while Egon Schiele approached the body as something fragile, exposed and deeply subjective.
In a more contemporary context, I am interested in artists such as Hito Steyerl, who critically engage with the circulation of images and digital culture, and Patricia Piccinini, whose work explores hybrid forms that blur the boundary between human and artificial.
These influences are less about style and more about attitude. What connects them is a shared concern with transformation, of the body, of identity and of the systems that shape how we see ourselves. This is also where my own work situates itself, at the intersection between the human condition and its technological extensions.
What personal, cultural, or environmental influences shape your practice?
My work is shaped by the environment I live in, where traditional structures and rapid technological change coexist in a sometimes dissonant way. Growing up and working in Romania, I have experienced this overlap between past and present, between inherited identity and constructed identity.
On a personal level, I am influenced by constant exposure to images, especially through social media, where identity is often reduced to appearance, filtered and optimised for visibility. This creates a sense of distance between what is lived and what is presented, a tension that feeds directly into my work.
I am also deeply influenced by the rise of artificial intelligence and its impact on artistic practice. It challenges authorship, originality and even the role of the artist, forcing me to reconsider what it means to create in a context where images can be generated instantly.
All these elements converge in my practice, shaping a visual language that reflects a world in transition, where identity is no longer something stable, but something negotiated between the human, the image and the system.
Where is your studio based, and how does the space inform your creativity?
My studio is based in Baia Mare, and it functions more as a focused working space than a symbolic one. It is a controlled environment where I can isolate myself from the constant flow of digital stimuli and concentrate on the act of painting.
This separation is important for me. While my work is deeply influenced by digital culture and technology, the studio becomes a place where I slow everything down. The physicality of the space, canvas, paint and texture, creates a direct, tactile relationship with the image, in contrast to the immaterial nature of the digital world I often reflect on.
Rather than dictating the content of my work, the studio provides the conditions for it to develop. It is a space of reduction and clarity, where complex ideas are translated into a single, controlled image.
Do you have any rituals or rhythms that anchor your studio practice?
I do not follow strict rituals, but I rely on a consistent rhythm of returning to the work. Painting unfolds over time, through repetition, layering, correcting and refining, allowing the image to emerge gradually rather than forcing it.
I usually begin by observing the work in silence before making any intervention. This pause creates a necessary distance, helping me understand what the painting requires rather than imposing a fixed idea onto it.
In the studio, time loses its usual meaning. It slows down to the point where it almost disappears, and this suspension allows me to enter a deeper state of focus. It is also the place where I feel most connected to something beyond the immediate, the underlying structure from which everything is built, a kind of universal matrix that exists beneath form and image.
In this sense, my practice is anchored not in ritual, but in presence, returning, observing and allowing the work to unfold within this space where time and intention become fluid.
What bodies of work or projects are you currently developing?
I am currently developing a body of work that explores the hybridisation of the human body with technology, continuing my interest in identity as a constructed and unstable condition. The paintings focus on figures suspended between organic presence and artificial intervention, reflecting a posthuman state in which the self is continuously redefined.
This direction builds on my recent series, where I examine how digital culture, social media and artificial intelligence influence the way we perceive and represent ourselves, marking the shift from a lived identity to an engineered one.
At the same time, I am beginning a new project that extends this research into a different territory. It focuses on living plants with an almost extraterrestrial appearance, combined with artificial materials and technological components. These forms exist on constructed substrates, where they adapt and reconfigure themselves in response to new conditions.
Through this, I am interested in exploring not only the transformation of the human, but the emergence of new hybrid ecosystems at the intersection between the organic and the synthetic.
What bodies of work or projects are you currently developing?
I am currently developing a body of work that explores the hybridisation of the human body with technology, continuing my interest in identity as a constructed and unstable condition. The paintings focus on figures suspended between organic presence and artificial intervention, reflecting a posthuman state in which the self is continuously redefined.
This direction builds on my recent series, where I examine how digital culture, social media and artificial intelligence influence the way we perceive and represent ourselves, marking the shift from a lived identity to an engineered one.
At the same time, I am beginning a new project that extends this research into a different territory. It focuses on living plants with an almost extraterrestrial appearance, combined with artificial materials and technological components. These forms exist on constructed substrates, where they adapt and reconfigure themselves in response to new conditions.
Through this, I am interested in exploring not only the transformation of the human, but the emergence of new hybrid ecosystems at the intersection between the organic and the synthetic.
For more information visit Romeos’s website and Instagram @romeo.bud
