What About Death?

In the ever-shifting nature of existence, death stands as both an end and a beginning a passage, not a void. What About Death? confronts the uncertainties surrounding this inevitable transition, questioning what it means to be in flux between presence and absence, the known and the unknown.
Through this work, I explore death not as a static conclusion but as a moment of transformation. Like tides that recede to return, like breath that pauses before the next inhale, death suggests motion an ongoing flux within the cycle of existence. The piece invites contemplation on how we perceive endings, whether as dissolution or evolution, stillness or flow.
In a world constantly shifting, is death a rupture or simply another form of becoming?
What About Death is a visual meditation on mortality, beauty, and renewal. At first glance, the vibrant floral elements covering the figure’s attire and hat contrast strikingly with the skeletal face, symbolizing the coexistence of life and death. The delicate butterflies hovering around the figure further evoke the cycle of transformation from life to decay, and ultimately, to rebirth. Each brushstroke of color embodies fleeting vitality, while the skeletal structure serves as a timeless memento mori, a reminder of humanity’s impermanence.
The bubbles, fragile and reflective, add another dimension to the discourse on transience. They capture a moment of existence that is ephemeral, fleeting like a breath held too long. The paradox between the fragile beauty of flowers, the whimsical lightness of butterflies, and the stark inevitability of the skull encourages the viewer to confront both the sorrow and wonder intertwined with existence.
This piece also reflects on human vulnerability in the face of natural disasters, like the devastating California wildfires. Fire, as an agent of both destruction and regeneration, parallels death’s duality. In its aftermath, life reclaims the scarred landscape with new growth, a metaphor echoed in the floral richness draped over death’s visage in this artwork. Flowers bloom where ruin once existed, a poignant reflection on resilience and the cyclical nature of life.
What About Death invites a dialogue about fragility, regeneration, and the delicate balance between creation and destruction. It challenges viewers to acknowledge mortality as an integral, even beautiful, part of existence, while simultaneously mourning loss and celebrating rebirth.