Calcination - The Purifying Flame, 2022

Mix Media on Canvas, 70cm x 90cm

To forge a new self, we must first relinquish the old. The alchemical fire ignites our journey inward, incinerating our attachments to perceived identities. During this phase, I found myself engulfed in a maelstrom of uncertainty, grappling with questions about my future and relationships, while confronting the shadows that lurked within.

This experience brought me face-to-face with the aspects of myself that had become obstacles to growth. As the flames of introspection raged, a new conscious awareness of my true feelings began to emerge from the ashes. In this crucible of self-discovery, we burn to the ground all that has calcified, creating space for rebirth. It is the death of the previous identity, a necessary dissolution that paves the way for the genesis of a new self.

The artwork embodies this intense process of transformation. Swirling flames and shadowy forms symbolize the chaotic breaking down of old structures, while glimmers of light hint at the nascent awareness rising from the depths. Through this visual allegory, I seek to convey the profound, often painful, yet ultimately liberating nature of personal metamorphosis. It serves as a reminder that from the depths of our darkest moments, we can rise, phoenix-like, into a more authentic and enlightened version of ourselves.