The Great Fetishist 2018, oil on linen

The Great Fetishist 2018, oil on linen

When I started this painting, it was going in a completely different direction. The intention to create a classic portrait of a general was there, but the face was supposed to be resembling an old-school movie monster. Right after the underpainting, something changed my mind, and I started correcting the initial brush strokes to form the shape of a leather gimp mask.
The concept took an interesting twist that gave this painting a more profound and sarcastic message.
It's not the first time that I use this type of mask in my work. My solo exhibition in Lisboa in 2013 was much about this uncanny and mysterious feeling of seeing someone represented with part of its face covered. I called the exhibition "BYOM" (Bring Your Own Mask).
The interesting thing about this artwork is the technique I used. The medium and the support make it look very traditional, especially if you get the chance to see it in person. To accentuate this feature, I decided to have a classic gold ornamented frame.
This painting got a lot of attention and ended up as one of the covers of Heavy Metal magazine, Issue 291.

To accentuate the strange effect of having a classic painting with a bizarre twist, I decided to have a classic gold ornamented frame.