Poesie
Poesie Cycle Installation for One Continuous Wall
These six paintings form a single cohesive installation — color-matched and painted in the same scale to be hung together as one continuous frieze.
Inspired by Titian’s famous Poesie series, this cycle uses classical mythology as a poetic vehicle to explore transformation, power, desire, violation, fate, and the masks we wear when confronted with overwhelming forces.
A single unifying element runs through every painting: fire. It serves as a visual thread and symbolic reminder of the theft of fire — the original act of rebellion that brought knowledge, suffering, and consequence to humanity. From that stolen spark, everything else follows.
Dark yet hopeful.
Click on any image for more information and larger view. Viewed from left to right, the works unfold in a clear dramatic arc:
Creation → Protection → Discord → Chaos → Desperate Search for Meaning → Ultimate Rupture.
The Creation of Pandora Carbon pencil, blackening watercolours, and inks on paper mounted to canvas · 2023–2025
This painting marks the beginning — the moment the gods fashion the first woman and release her into the world. Pandora stands at the threshold of existence, beautiful and dangerous, bathed in the glow of fire stolen from the gods. The blackening layers trace the slow introduction of consequence into creation itself. Here the first mask is formed: the illusion of innocence that conceals the Pandora’s box we all inherit, from mans theft of fire.
This is where the cycle ignites — the divine spark of creation that will lead, inevitably, to rupture.
The mask of creation and the moment we become ourselves. The beginning — Man steals fire, the gods fashion the first woman.
The Griffin Carbon pencil, blackening watercolours, and inks on paper mounted to canvas · 2023–2025
From Pandora’s release comes the instinct to protect what has been created. The Griffin stands to vigilant, a fierce guardian of treasure and order. Yet even the protector wears a mask — the noble beast that hides the fear of loss. The fire in the background flickers, a reminder that the stolen spark of creation demands constant defense. This painting shows the second stage: the mask of protection that arises the moment something valuable exists. The Griffin’s watchful gaze already hints at the fragility beneath its strength.
The mask of protection and the guardian we become. The instinct to guard what has been created — the protector emerges.
The Apple of Discord Carbon pencil, blackening watercolours, and inks on paper mounted to canvas · 2023–2025
Jealousy enters the garden. One golden apple, thrown by Eris, exposes the cracks in divine harmony. The gods and goddesses turn on one another, beauty becoming a weapon. The fire burns hotter here — the stolen spark now fueling division. This is the mask of jealousy: the small, seemingly insignificant act that destroys worlds. The painting reveals how quickly creation and protection collapse into competition and resentment, setting the stage for greater chaos.
The mask of jealousy and the small spark that destroys worlds. The first fracture — jealousy and competition enter paradise.
The Calydonian Boar Carbon pencil, blackening watercolours, and inks on paper mounted to canvas · 2023–2025
Chaos erupts in full force. Heroes gather for the hunt, yet pride and violence quickly overtake glory. The boar rampages through the land, a manifestation of nature’s fury at humanity’s hubris. The fire rages across the scene — the stolen spark now consuming everything. This painting captures the mask of heroism: the noble quest that masks deeper aggression, ego, and the human tendency to turn celebration into slaughter. The cycle accelerates as order dissolves into raw disorder.
The mask of heroism and the chaos of the hunt. Chaos erupts. Heroes gather, but pride and violence follow.
The Oracle of Delphi Carbon pencil, blackening watercolours, and inks on paper mounted to canvas · 2023–2025
In the midst of chaos, humanity turns desperately to the gods for answers. The Oracle sits shrouded in smoke and ambiguity, delivering prophecies that both illuminate and obscure. The fire here is contained yet ever-present — the stolen spark now filtered through divine mystery. This is the mask of seeking meaning: the human need to impose order and fate on a world that has become incomprehensible. The painting stands as the moment of desperate pause before the final rupture.
The mask of seeking answers in a confusing world. In the midst of chaos, humanity turns to prophecy, fate, and the gods for guidance.
The Rape of Europa Carbon pencil, blackening watercolours, and inks on paper mounted to canvas · 2023–2025
The cycle reaches its inevitable breaking point. Zeus, in the form of a bull, abducts Europa. Power takes back what it desires under the illusion of consent. The fire blazes across the sea as the old order shatters. This final painting reveals the mask of abduction and domination — the ultimate consequence of creation without restraint. From this violent transformation, a new world will be born. The circle closes, returning us to the beginning: every ending carries the seed of a new creation, and every rupture demands we confront what we have become.
The mask of abduction and the illusion of consent. The final rupture — power takes what it desires. The old order breaks. A new world begins through fire, violation and transformation.
Thank you for experiencing these works.
Click on any image above for more information and larger view.
Next Collection → The Floating World
Dark yet hopeful.
Studio visits, or related works: blairaiken@raincage.com
Dark yet hopeful.