Death
An exploration.
“Between Two Fires”
(Chromatic, Fire, Tree) -June 2023
Location: Available for Sale
Oil on Canvas (30x40inch)
In the iterative process of connecting the 3 words together, I came across a photograph taken by Jayaprakash Bojan (Nat Geo Photographer of the Year 2017). Jayaprakash has kindly let me paint my version of it; A photograph of an Orangutan in Borneo.
I used to be fascinated by rainforests as a child. Seeing the photo and making this painting has been my first time being able to reconnect with my passion to understand our impact on rainforests.
“Portrait of Medusa”
(Meduza, Music, and Passion)- Jan 2021
Location: Italy
I created the story of a painter who has been commissioned to paint a portrait of Medusa. The painter sets up the room to look at Medusa's face with a mirror so that the painter doesn't turn to stone. But when painting Medusa's eyes, the painter has a fleeting moment of passionate artistic curiosity and glances at her real eyes. From which the painters’ hands start to turn to stone.
The painter keeps painting until they cannot anymore. They will die doing what they love, painting the truth.
I reached out to the Italian band Meduza to partake in my 3 Words Project after one evening hearing their song “Piece of Your Heart” play at a friends house. One thing led to another, here is their painting I made for them now in Italy.
Image sent by MEDUZA to Darcelle. “Portrait of Medusa” standing in front of Grammy Nomination Medal awarded to MEDUZA.
“The Afterlife”
(Diamond, Sky, and Magic) -July 2021
Location: New York
Below is a story I will explain as if it were you:
You once existed in Ancient Egypt. You die. You are put inside a Sarcophagus with your greatest possession; the Diamond that would guide you through the afterlife. It will show you all the different ways of seeing life after death. From inside the Sarcophagus, you awaken to see the painting of Nut (the Goddess of the Sky) inside the lid. Nut is there to protect you in your journey. You reach out with your hand to remove the lid and find yourself in a room full of all the gold you had been buried with.
You reach out again, with a hand that doesn't look like your own; you open the lid of the room.
You are inside infinity.
This painting is for musician Nick AM, his music I recently discovered after sending my Autobiographical painting to South Africa. This music shaped how I processed my own art what this 3 Words really means to me.
Below is a link to one of Nick AM’s tracks that still remains as one of my most played songs on Spotify.
“Allegory of van Gogh’s Cave”
(Positivity, Creation, and Inspiration)- Jul 2021
Location: donated to an anonymous individual
I have fused Plato's Allegory of the Cave alongside my interpretation of the struggle of Vincent van Gogh. This first side of the painting shows the life of Vincent in his own cave. His life progressing towards the portal of death (the hole in the wooden painting).
The journey to the death: Vincent stuck in a yellow room with a painting of a yellow flower. Vincent finally standing up to see his life ahead holding onto the flower he once painted. Vincent not having a good time. Vincent in his own garden of flowers by the river. Vincent not having a good time again. Vincent finally crawling from the top of the cave into death.
In his time of struggle, Vincent found the inspiration in the yellow flowers he painted.
…but not as a person but as the same yellow flower that carried his art journey. This is the reverse side of the painting above.
This painting was made with 3 words given to me by musician Michael Levy. Instead of sending this painting to Michael it was decided between us that I chose someone to donate this painting to. Until I find the most suitable recipient, this painting remains with me.
Below is a link to the soundtrack by Levy that I had listened to that carried quite a big influence on how I felt when learning about fabric of the universe.
Vincent has awoken after death, looking up at his sky