Cold War Steve aka Christopher Spencer (b.1977), English

“This is another painting by Joe Hendry exploring the theme of the kilted Scottish figure. The man is shown from behind, hands clasped behind his back, standing quite calmly on the canvas.

What I like about this one is its simplicity. There’s nothing complicated about it — just a figure, a kilt, and a quiet bit of attitude. Hendry manages to make something very Scottish feel fresh and contemporary at the same time.”

Cold War Steve is the artistic pseudonym of Christopher Spencer (born 1977), a British digital collage artist known for satirical works addressing contemporary politics, media and popular culture. He was born in Birmingham, England, and originally worked as a graphic designer before gaining recognition as an artist.

Spencer began the Cold War Steve project in 2016, initially creating digital collages using archival imagery from Cold War-era photography, British news media and popular culture. These images were digitally manipulated to place politicians, celebrities and historical figures into surreal and often chaotic dystopian landscapes.

His work gained widespread attention through social media, particularly Twitter, where the satirical collages quickly built a large following during the period surrounding the Brexit referendum and subsequent political debates in the UK.

Cold War Steve’s work has since moved from online circulation into gallery and museum contexts. In 2019 he held a major solo exhibition titled “Cold War Steve: The Festival of Brexit” at The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum in Coventry. His work has also appeared in exhibitions and commissions with institutions including the Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery, the Cartoon Museum in London, and Channel 4.

Working entirely in digital collage, Spencer’s compositions combine humour with pointed political commentary, reflecting contemporary British culture and media through densely layered imagery.

Today Cold War Steve is recognised as one of the most distinctive contemporary British satirical artists working in digital media.