Fine Art & Illustration

Forests of Siberia

Graphite on Paper, 11" X 8.5", 2016

This piece was inspired by the first photograph taken of Karina Chikitova, a three-year-old girl who miraculously survived 11 days alone in the Siberian wilderness, just after she was found. The undefinable gravitas in her eyes merely hint to us of her inexpressible secrets: the wild winds of the forests, the wordless bond that emerged between her and the dog who had guided her back to safety. Hers is a portrait dignified with the intrinsic connection between humans and the natural world in their purest forms.

A mature understanding seems to have settled in her young eyes as the duality of life fragilely dances between the light and dark graphite marks, embodying both the shadows of night and the glimmers of hope in her ordeal. Her clasped hands and the tender way her head rests betray an innocent vulnerability within her resilience. Through her gaze, we are challenged to discover within ourselves the same tender strength and mystery that define the human spirit.

Like a Flower That Knows Simply to Bloom

Graphite on Paper, 11" X 8.5", 2017

The pristine essence of children remain a topic of perennial fascination to laymen and philosophers alike, reminding us of a time when life was seen through a clear, almost saint-like lens, without the complexities of our adulthood.

We find ourselves now longing for the unguarded joy and curiosity that we experienced through the eyes of a child. Yet what monks have realised – and what I have come to glimpse in my meditative moments – is that this essence of our being remains unchanged by time. Within us resides a universal, egoless spirit; an eternal aspect that revels in the sheer delight of existence. It is this mirroring of our timeless inner self that the innocent wisdom of a child’s gaze can reveal.

By capturing in graphite the honest, playful glint of childlike mischief, as though engaging in a silent dialogue with the 'cosmic joker' himself, I seek to bridge the gap between the ephemeral innocence of youth and our quest for simplicity and authenticity in our adult lives.

Last Light

Digital, 58" X 36", 2023.

A Haiku in visual form, Last Light gently embraces the wabi-sabi ephemerality of life, whose true beauty reveals itself as, in final analysis, a simply inherently undefinable mystery. Here is a mystery only ever partially glimpsed in our most intimate and sacred moments with Being, such as the last golden glimmers of twilight – a mystery which will never able to be translated into words.

"In those subtle moments we sometimes drift into, when time slips away and life stands silent and majestic, words cease to spill from our mouths or even bubble up from that source within. The warming wholeness ensues at the sheer experience of it all: we marvel at the vast beautiful complexity of creation rolling around and within us. It's likely that every human has experienced this feeling at least once in some form. It almost seems hardwired, like a key back into the garden."
— Chris Arkenberg

Ode to Tenderness

Digital, 24" X 33", 2015.

Stay Gold

Digital, 13 X 18", 2014

This artwork celebrates the creative spirit within Black communities as it challenges stereotypes attached to self-expression among people of colour. The vivid colours dancing against the central figure’s skin highlight her rich heritage and deep emotional spectrum, from warm passion to cool mystique, against a backdrop of the ethereal patterns of her inner landscapes, thoughts and dreams.

In recent history, many such expressions of vibrant creativity have been unjustly labeled as "ghetto," a microcosmic reflection of the wider systemic racism and eurocentrism that have long marginalised non-white artistic achievements. The piece aims to celebrate the beauty and legitimacy of Black artistic expression, as contrasted against the predominant celebration of white artistic achievements in classrooms and history books. The viewer is invited to form a deeper appreciation for the bottomlessly rich depths of consciousness across race and culture and the importance of such visibility.

Birth of Compassion

Digital, 20 X 20", 2015.

Enveloped in a cosmic cloak, a sleeping infant awaits the beginning of her existential journey. She is the tabula rasa, a blank slate which will gradually be inscribed with the conditioning of her particular culture that will come to shape her core beliefs around meaning and morality. This will then come to define our collective human future as the values nurtured in each child’s youth will become her core inscription, dictating the essence behind all her future relationships and actions.

Each child’s latent subconscious power awaits activation through the worldly challenges of her particular life. Her true test is to hold onto the inner peace, stillness and connection to the universe that was once innate to her soul, amidst the chaotic dance of earthly manifestation. It is thus, in this physical incarnation that, that we may each individually learn the lessons we need to become spiritually whole, integrating inner and outer, nirvana and samsara, heaven and earth.

ALWYSCHLN

Digital, 15 X 15", 2013.
Album Art for ALWYSCHLN.

ID/EGO

Digital, 10 X 10", 2011.

Portrait I

Digital, 14" X 14", 2014.