The Malevolence Beneath takes the viewer on a poignant journey of reminiscence and introspection, showing four recognisable cartoon characters as we’ve never seen them before – with a dark and menacing twist. The faces that were once familiar are now sinister and plastered with forced smiles, no longer suitable for the youthful audience they were originally intended to entertain.

Presented in stark black and white, reminiscent of early animation styles to reinforce feelings of nostalgia, the paintings strip away warmth and innocence leaving nothing but the raw, unfiltered characters behind. Disrupting the composition, a bold yellow strike cuts across the characters’ eyes, suggesting a hidden truth that many would rather not acknowledge. By using black and yellow – symbols of danger in nature - Whatshisname forces the viewer to question whether the characters were ever good, or whether our childhood perception of them is rose tinted. The starkness of the paintings causes the viewer to face a harsh reality; we can never return to childhood simplicity, only reflect on our shifted perception.