With Thy Hands, Build (2022) Original Acrylic Painting by Emmanuel Akolo

I created With Thine Hands, Build to explore the sacred intimacy between labor and the soul. This work is a visual response to the idea that work is not a curse, but a fulfillment of the earth's furthest dream. The portrait features a young man set against a radiant, saturated yellow background, which is heavily textured with the handprints of those who have labored before him. This backdrop serves as a "structural" testament to the human procession that marches toward the infinite, reminding us that to be idle is to become a stranger to life’s natural seasons.

In this composition, The subject’s intense, direct gaze reflects a "majesty and proud submission" to the work assigned to him. By incorporating the physical marks of hands on the canvas, I aim to celebrate the act of loving life through labor, honoring the resilience of the builder who understands that true intimacy with life’s inmost secrets is found through the work of one's own hands.

Materials used:

Acrylic On Canvas

Details:

• Acrylic painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 91.44 x 121.92 x 3.81cm (unframed) / 91.44 x 121.92cm (actual image size)
• Signed on the front
• Style: Expressive and gestural
• Subject: People and portraits