Provocative thoughts are the catalysts for breaking new ground, scaling treacherous slopes in pursuit of a landing, albeit a rare one. Gazing over one’s shoulder, the breathtaking sunset and the vast expanse of the earth offer perfect hyperboles. It is these moments that demand to be seized. Hovering above all that is and below all that could be, suspended in absolute bewilderment and disbelief, a painting eventually takes shape. Colour is my quest, the epicentre of my argument. The materiality of paint must be transcended, with numerous grounds for transgression, both diverse and multifaceted. Colour and its analogues are not the sole determinants; the chemistry of thought, the expansiveness of imagination, and other curiosities all play a role in shaping a painting’s idea.
Several such ideas mark the beginning, followed by reflective conjugations, dark facets of the mind, and a staunch rejection of the banality surrounding the human experience. Memories merge into narratives, and olfactory notes and sounds blend with the silence haunting the chambers of the heart. Baudelaire cradling the Flowers of Evil in a casket, Hamlet contemplating the inadequacy of life, and Macbeth haunted by the image of a dagger piercing a king’s conscience-all these threads are picked up and pursued. The chasm between what is spoken and what is heard is an eternal struggle to which I willingly submit. At times, the canyons are too vast to bridge, and the sea too deep inhabited by monsters both real and imaginary.
Fear is the initial barrier to be confronted with a barbaric determination, followed by a serenity that is heartwarming yet transient. The transience of any given state enriches the experience, infusing it with an electric charge significant enough to initiate a chain reaction with the power and potential to illuminate the universe.
