Back to The horrors of contemporary wars (2024-25)

The horrors of contemporary (detail)

In this mixed media painting, I wanted to depict, in some form, the horrors of contemporary wars: wars that have all kinds of aspects, some obvious and visible, others not immediately apparent, and which we can still see around us today.

Wars today, just as in the past, are fought for money, out of a hunger for power, and for raw materials. They are just as horrific and cruel as ever, yet today people follow them, in a somewhat perverse way, almost online, as if they were merely media events, something virtual. I find this whole phenomenon horrifying. Investigative articles, background reports, and documentaries are produced about every contemporary war, yet the majority still get their information from propaganda.

War and killing remain what they have always been: one of the most horrific faces of humanity.

The painting was made with oil and acrylic, without preliminary sketches; I drew it directly onto the canvas over the span of a few days. To this day, it remains unfinished, and perhaps it always will.