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In literary theory, when considering fiction or other narrative forms, the alter ego describes a key character in a story who is perceived to be intentionally representative of the work’s creator, by virtue of oblique similarities. The literary alter ego emulates the author’s behaviour, speech and mental landscape, becoming an effective mouthpiece for their ideas. As so often happens with literature and painting, this device overlaps.

Alter Ego looks at how a selection of young painters are using artistic personas in their work. The use of these secondary characters allows artists to occupy …