- Emmanuel Akolo
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- The Silent Guard
The Silent Guard (2026)Acrylic painting
by Emmanuel Akolo
£363.95
Original artwork description
created The Silent Guard to explore the psychological architecture of self-preservation. This portrait features a young man captured in a moment of unwavering stillness, his focused expression serving as both a mask and a mirror to the world. He stands positioned behind a bold, grey, fence-like shield—a physical representation of the emotional boundaries we construct to navigate our environments. By placing his hand firmly on the edge of this barrier, I signify a gesture of ownership and agency; he is not hiding behind the shield, but actively wielding it to protect his internal space.
In this work, I utilized a rich, warm palette of ambers, ochres, and deep mahoganies to highlight the vibrant humanity and "inner glow" of the subject. This luminosity stands in stark contrast to the flat, uncompromising grey of the foreground, which symbolizes the cold realities or societal barriers that often necessitate a guarded posture. The Silent Guard is a tribute to the sentinels of the self—those who watch, wait, and protect their inner peace with a dignified, silent resolve. It celebrates the resilience found in maintaining one's boundaries while remaining deeply present and watchful.
Materials used:
Acrylic On Canvas
Details:
- Acrylic painting on Canvas
- One of a kind artwork
- Size: 40.64 x 50.8 x 2.54cm / 40.64 x 50.8cm (actual image size)
- Signed on the front
- Style: Expressive and gestural
- Subject: People and portraits
Tags:
#figurative art#identity#modern realism#self preservation#stoicism#silent guard#protective barrier#black masculinity#african diaspora
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Original artwork description
created The Silent Guard to explore the psychological architecture of self-preservation. This portrait features a young man captured in a moment of unwavering stillness, his focused expression serving as both a mask and a mirror to the world. He stands positioned behind a bold, grey, fence-like shield—a physical representation of the emotional boundaries we construct to navigate our environments. By placing his hand firmly on the edge of this barrier, I signify a gesture of ownership and agency; he is not hiding behind the shield, but actively wielding it to protect his internal space.
In this work, I utilized a rich, warm palette of ambers, ochres, and deep mahoganies to highlight the vibrant humanity and "inner glow" of the subject. This luminosity stands in stark contrast to the flat, uncompromising grey of the foreground, which symbolizes the cold realities or societal barriers that often necessitate a guarded posture. The Silent Guard is a tribute to the sentinels of the self—those who watch, wait, and protect their inner peace with a dignified, silent resolve. It celebrates the resilience found in maintaining one's boundaries while remaining deeply present and watchful.
Materials used:
Acrylic On Canvas
Details:
- Acrylic painting on Canvas
- One of a kind artwork
- Size: 40.64 x 50.8 x 2.54cm / 40.64 x 50.8cm (actual image size)
- Signed on the front
- Style: Expressive and gestural
- Subject: People and portraits
Tags:
#figurative art#identity#modern realism#self preservation#stoicism#silent guard#protective barrier#black masculinity#african diaspora