I can’t believe I am uploading the final painting for 2022! It has been quite the year – quite the art journey! I started off large and I finished large, which I like. Large paintings are an immense amount of work for me, I pack in details everywhere I can, but they really tell a story. This story is culmination of all the large works I did this year. A summary of my 2022 journey.
Basically this work is about embracing your shadow side. I think many of us are on journeys of self betterment and this can come with a catch. All humans are inherently duplicitous. Meaning, we can’t be good or bad, dark or light – we will forever be both.
If you’ve followed my work long enough you know this is my favorite topic to touch upon. In fact, this painting was inspired by a piece I made in 2015 called “The Physician” where two plague doctors are removing broken glass from a young girls heart. At the time I wondered what I would be like if I could remove all ill will. If I could remove all the emotions and experiences that have hurt and wounded me – who would I be then?
But ultimately, what good would that do? It isnt about running from the pain that has occured, it is about learning from it. It isn’t about banishing the dark side – it is about embracing it. The shadow will always be there, how do we accept that part of ourselves we may even be ashamed of?
It reminds me of a story of Buddha I read once, where now and again he invites his ego to tea to have a chat. The ego perhaps isn’t “our darkside” per say, but I would reckon it is a part of it. For me, this is a journey. But this painting is a wonderful reminder of how live this inherently duplicitous life as a human. We are born with an incredible dichotomy, one which we will never escape. So sit still, breathe, listen, understand… I think it is the ultimate way to create peace.
This painting is a part of Wow x Wow gallery’s Mystical Rhythms show! You can find it here 😀
I hope you all like it and have a wonderful weekend!