Modern Icon -sacrum&profanum (2026) Original Acrylic Painting by Kasia Januszkiewicz

"Modern Icon" is a provocative and masterful exploration of the tension between the sacred and the profane in the 21st century. This large-scale acrylic painting reinterprets traditional religious and classical iconography through a razor-sharp, contemporary lens.
At the heart of the composition stands a majestic, angelic figure. Her traditional celestial attributes—expansive, meticulously detailed wings and layers of elegant pearls—are starkly contrasted by the artifacts of modern consumerism and digital culture. From the golden headphones and a glass bottle of Coca-Cola to the red high-top sneakers, the subject embodies a new kind of divinity: the influencer, the brand, the "Modern Icon".
The narrative depth is further enriched by the presence of two symmetrical Dalmatians, acting as heraldic guardians. Adorned with Bitcoin collars and guarding a plastic grocery bag overflowing with gold crypto-coins, they symbolize the shift of value from the spiritual to the digital and material.
I use the technique a sophisticated "chiaroscuro" technique, setting the vibrant subject against a deep, midnight-blue background. The piece is grounded by a subtle, dark-mirrored floor, creating elegant reflections that give the composition a surreal, high-fashion gallery feel.

Materials used:

acrylic on canvas

Details:

• Acrylic painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 70 x 120 x 2cm (unframed)
• Ready to hang
• Signed on the back
• Style: Surrealistic
• Subject: People and portraits