Description:
“Catharsis” represents my exploration into emotional expression through portraiture. I painted this piece on canvas with big, gestural strokes of acrylic paint that make it hard to tell the difference between representation and raw feeling.
Process:
The main focus of the piece is a styled cat-like face with strong black lines against a pale green background. Dramatic red drips make the piece really feel powerful. The paint was applied both thick and thin, allowing for controlled drips that suggest both tears and blood, while maintaining the stark graphic quality of the central figure.
For me, this piece explores themes of weakness and strength by putting together things that seem to go against each other: the structured, graphic quality of the face versus the fluid, uncontrolled nature of the drips; the cat-like features that suggest innocence versus the intensity of the red lines. Though the composition seems to float, the gray mass in the background gives me some weight and stability.
PS: The drips weren’t just left to fall on their own; they were carefully planned to strike a balance between spontaneity and control, which is similar to how the drips reflect different emotional states.
Year:
2022
Size:
9″ x 9″
Medium:
Acrilic Paint
