John Kirby Boy in a Paper Hat, 1988

A recurring motif in Kirby's oeuvre is his 'paper crown' works, which are less easy to interpret in allegorical terms. These powerful paintings distil a quiet,  melancholic mood tinged with irony. Kirby said that the idea for them came from a trivial incident when a friend placed a paper crown on the artist's head. Kirby then caught a glimpse of himself in a mirror, with an expression completely in variance with such a lighthearted adornment.