Original artwork description:

“Substitution” (2023) explores how cultural symbols shift in contemporary life. Painted in oil with a luminous gold-leaf ground, it elevates a Lindt chocolate bear — a modern emblem of Christmas consumer culture — to the place traditionally held by sacred imagery. Inspired by festive shop displays and a gold-toned icon of Saint Nicholas, the work reflects on what replaces spiritual anchors when ritual becomes commercial. The tactile realism of the bear contrasts with the timeless radiance of gold leaf, creating tension between the perishable and the transcendent. Exhibited at the Royal Academy Summer Exhibition 2023, it combines visual clarity, conceptual depth, and emotional resonance, making it a compelling addition to collections of symbolic and contemporary iconographic art.

Materials used:

oil on canvas ana gold leaf

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