Characters from TV or movies are a constant throughout Oli’s art making, and an ever present factor in his life, often providing an area of focused interest. As a neurodivergent artist, quotes from these characters contribute to areas of speech and expression through echolalia, but also provide context to emotions and thoughts the artist might be communicating.

These works have proven to be a great connector for Oli’s art community and audiences. The immense joy these characters bring the artist is shared by so many people, and have served to draw a huge array of emotions out of the people experiencing them, ranging from a mirrored excitement, to feelings of deep nostalgia and reflection on people, places and experiences people had forgotten.

Throughout Oliver’s artistic career, although new skill sets, interests, collaborators, facilitators and areas of exploration have emerged, these characters have remained a strong interest throughout numerous bodies of work.