Another Side

The work portrays a smiling bust turned away from the rest of the composition, meant to represent the troubles of the modern world. Painted near the end of the lockdown era, it reflects the pressing issues amplified by mass media. While such issues are real, they often take an unfair toll on our daily lives. After all, how can we live in the present when we’re constantly worried about the future? Interestingly, ignorance, a characteristically negative trait, may serve one well when embraced in moderation.

This was the first piece I made after switching teachers at my art school (nothing happened, it was a just a rearrangement by some of the administrators). For this piece I came back to drawing acrylics after a while–I first picked it up when the pandemic started, and learning through online art class wasn’t too effective for me. I really love how the bust turned out. Even though in reference the bust was obviously completely white, I stuck with my previous teacher’s adage–“nothing is really plain white or black”. And so I amplified the nuances of the lighting on the still life, filling the bust with a more diverse range of tones and colors.