Penny says: “The painters that really inspire me are often figurative, who capture people in their down, depicting what they do in those moments when they’re not working and have nowhere to be. I choose subject matters such as bars and restaurants, and my current series has a lot of that going on. These German painters created works that on the surface seem fun and like they don’t take themselves too seriously, often with a striking colour palette, but underneath there is more of a conversation about wanting more. I’m interested in the fact that we’re in a time where we all want to feel like a private member, which echoes this culture of greed. A lot of my work is like that — a wolf in sheep’s clothing, purposefully pleasing but deeper down making a comment on the human condition and how we try to fill ourselves through the outside world.

“There is an abstract approach to my figurative paintings where I let them take over and lead the way, I’m led by a fascination in the ways paint can go. I see myself as less of a painter and more of an image maker, as my work is explosive and direct. My latest paintings are a bit more organised, and I’m working on larger canvases that are more detailed, but I like there to be a moment of high risk, where I could have lost control but just manage to get away with it. Seeing issues resolved and a final piece made out of potential catastrophe – an odd colour, something that throws the composition — that’s exciting. I always say the painting has to take its own route. I’m greedy as a painter, I want to enjoy the process and see where it can go.”

Penny is currently working on a solo show with SEAM Agency, which was originally scheduled to open on 1 May but has been postponed as he wanted to add another large painting. This will be his first show in England since 2017. He says: “Since then my other solo shows have been in Hong Kong and Berlin, so it’s exciting to come back to England this summer.”