LUNACY

2020, 12” x 12”, 55 hours
Graphite and charcoal

With wide, light-colored eyes ablaze with frenetic thoughts,
One reason I adore making old people is because of my granddad who wasn’t around for much long. In this portrait, I often times see a reflection of him. I have never gotten to know him in person yet I know that he was an iconoclast of his time. The man in the sketch is thin and has a chiseled appearance, coupled with pronounced wrinkles, and he speaks of a life lived with depth and intensity. "Lunacy" suggests an element of unconventional thinking or non-conformity, reflecting my granddad's disposition as a trailblazer or someone unafraid to challenge societal norms. The man’s posture and expression evoke a spirit of iconoclasm and even madness—a celebration of independent thinking and the courage to chart one's own course in life.
Yet, the distinction is somewhat haunting. The man also seems consumed by the labyrinth of his mind. Madness exudes from his penetrating stare, embodying a tormented thinker confounded by his own cogitations. The portrayal evokes a visceral sense of mental conflict, where the thin line between contemplation and madness blurs, revealing ways in which a man can spiral into the depths of his own intellect.