Original artwork description:

When I conceived this work, I had a powerful image in mind: Goya's etching, 'The Sleep of Reason Produces Monsters.' That work is a universal warning, an accusation against the forces of the irrational that emerge when the Enlightenment—reason—fades. Goya shows man assaulted by fantastical creatures (bats, owls) and sees them as a threat, as the monsters that, according to Goya, are born when reason falls asleep.

My painting is the moment when Goya's legacy evolves: it is not about banishing the monsters to make reason triumph, but about sitting with them to find a deeper wisdom. My doubts, my fears that take shape, the dark thoughts that fly too close, that besiege me without giving me respite. And these crows force me not to flee. They are the guardians of my inner truth. They surround me to remind me that darkness is a part of me. By accepting their siege, I am accepting myself. The scene, for me, is the portrait of the exact moment when anguish transforms into acceptance, and the shadow becomes, paradoxically, my most faithful protector. I am here, sitting amongst my demons, and I am learning to coexist with them."

Materials used:

Oil on canvas

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