With this work the artist aims to explore profound themes of inner conflict, identity, and the struggle for self-awareness and liberation.

In the work's suggestive narrative imagery, the individual confronts their own destructive tendencies, protective defences, and existential doubts.

The familiar symbols of mirror, shadow, and reflection aim to convey themes of duality, self-deception, and the search for identity.

The resulting forms point toward a path of enlightenment through facing and transcending one's shadow, ultimately freeing the true self from the illusions and constraints of the external world.

The figure on the left - an allegory of an existential crisis of feeling both in possession of oneself and simultaneously lost- aims to capture a sense of alienation and the erasure of purpose or understanding. The duality within existence, reflecting both the self and the reflection (identity and shadow) leads to self-sabotage or a struggle with identity, where the self undermines its own attempts at growth or authenticity.

Looking within, paradoxically, leads to true vision or enlightenment. Self-awareness is gained not through traditional means of perception but by confronting the shadow or hidden parts of the psyche.

The "golden mirror" symbolizes the ego or a superficial reflection of the self. To "eclipse" it means to block or surpass it. Once this mirror is eclipsed, the true reflection—the authentic self—is freed. This suggests a journey toward self-liberation, where the individual breaks free from the constraints of ego or societal expectations, and finally uncovers their true nature.

Finally the lobsters and crustacean visual elements, scattered around the bottom half of the image symbolize an external, protective layer, a metaphor for psychological defense mechanisms. This shell shields the true self. The "reflection" could represent the deeper identity or soul, which, until recently, remained hidden behind these protective layers and is now free to be visible to the world.

A combination of digital photography, digital painting, visual montage, 3D CGI & AI generative media.

Theo Chronis, 2024

All rights reserved