Requiem is an elegy, a poem for the suffering of the dead.
I view trees as gentle beings that silently observe, vessel witnessing our failings
Dolus (Deceit) (oil on canvas, 101 x 76 cm) Requiem series
In Dolus, I explore the concept of deception—its seduction, its cost, and its consequences. The title comes from the Latin word for deceit, and in this painting, I use the natural world as both metaphor and mirror. The central figures are Indonesian pitcher plants, carnivorous species that lure and trap prey with scent and shape. From their open vessels emerge the skeletal remains of a mouse, a lizard, and a frog.
These plants do what they must to live. But in humans, deceit often serves less noble ends: power, manipulation, self-interest. The painting reflects on a world increasingly shaped by misinformation, propaganda, and narcissism—forces that erode truth and fracture our collective trust. Unlike the plant’s instinctual strategy for survival, our own deceit is frequently chosen, and its ripple effects are far more destructive.
The wood surrounding the pitcher plants has wounded flesh—gashed and bleeding—because betrayal leaves scars. It is a metaphor for the emotional and societal pain caused by lies, both personal and systemic.
While nature’s violence is often a matter of necessity, human deceit is a conscious betrayal of connection. Dolus challenges the viewer to reflect on that distinction. What do we justify in the name of survival? And what have we lost by allowing deception to flourish?
