Freq Art

LOVE HITS DIFFERENT

Valentine’s Day means something different to everyone. Maybe now more than ever.

I grew up watching the great old romance films — stories of sweeping gestures, grand declarations and the kind of love that felt inevitable. As a young boy, I believed in that version wholeheartedly. I think part of me always hoped I’d find it too.

Back in the late ’90s I created ‘Stupid Cupid’ — a simple stencil inspired by the famous figure atop the fountain in Piccadilly Circus, London. In my version, Cupid sat defiantly on a large, polished d***o, firing arrows into broken hearts. It was cheeky and a little cynical — a commentary on how messy love can be beneath the fairy-tale surface.

This new piece I’m sharing for the first time today is the evolution of that idea.

Cupid has adapted. His arrows have changed. The message now feels broader — less about disillusionment, more about inclusion. Whoever you love — or if this year is about learning to love yourself — Cupid’s aim is for everyone.

Love doesn’t look like it did in the movies.
It doesn’t land the same for all of us.
But it still hits.

Moscow 10/1998
‘World Ruled by Monkeys’

03/01/2009