Well Oiled

Oil on canvas

Size: 51 x 40.5 x 2 cm

“Well Oiled” is a self-portrait that transports me back to a time when the wine flowed freely, sometimes to excess. At its core, this piece is a meditation on escape – the kind sought through the bottom of a glass. Its essence lies in texture, in the tactile peaks and valleys of oil paint on canvas mirroring the complex tapestry of emotions and experiences that drive one to seek solace in alcohol.

The creation process was as unconventional as the subject itself. Utilizing syringes, I applied generous amounts of highly diluted oil paint, later draining away the excess once the surface had dried. The result is a raw and unfiltered visage, one that doesn’t shy away from the less polished aspects of the self.

There’s an unsettling element to the portrait, a touch of the grotesque that might make you look twice. But that’s precisely what makes it an authentic self-portrait – an unflinching confrontation with the multifaceted, sometimes messy nature of identity and the human experience.

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