The Owl of Desire

Acrylic on Canvas

48’’ x 48’’

2023

SOLD

Artist Statement for The Owl of Desire

In The Owl of Desire, I explore the haunting, all-encompassing nature of insatiable desire. The owl, a creature of the night, becomes a symbol of the unrelenting pull of obsession—a desire so deep and primal that it flutters just beyond reason. This is not the fleeting attraction of the modern world but an ancient, visceral longing that consumes and transforms. It is the kind of yearning that makes the soul restless, the mind feverish, and the heart wild.

The work delves into the paradox of attraction: how the same force that draws us closer can unmoor us, leaving us untethered from rationality. It captures the tension between longing and fulfillment, the ever-elusive promise of satisfaction that keeps desire alive and burning. This is the desire that borders on madness, the kind celebrated in myth, poetry, and the whispered secrets of lovers past and present.

At its core, The Owl of Desire also speaks to the ache of wanting what you cannot have. This is not a longing for something distant or abstract, but for something tangible, seen, and felt—yet just out of reach. It’s the bittersweet torment of encountering that person or thing from time to time, their fleeting presence reigniting the flames of longing and leaving behind an even deeper void. Each glimpse intensifies the feeling, feeding the obsession rather than quelling it.

Through intricate detail and layered textures, I invite viewers into this realm of fervent intensity. The owl, with its piercing gaze and silent flight, represents an ever-watchful presence—someone or something that inhabits your thoughts, shadows your dreams, and refuses to be ignored. It is the ancient echo of love that binds yet liberates, a force that is both beautiful and terrifying in its power.

In this piece, I seek to articulate not just the feeling of desire but its weight, its complexity, and its eternal grip on the human spirit. Through The Owl of Desire, I ask: How far will we go to chase the unattainable, and how much of ourselves are we willing to lose in the process?