The Miracle 2005

Horia Damian made "The Miracle" with paint, and it feels like a miracle in itself, watching the painting come to life. The palette here feels both muted and intense. There's this pink that's almost aggressively there, juxtaposed against the soft, fleshy tones of the figure. I'm drawn to the way Damian handles the form. It's not about perfection, but about process. You can see the strokes, the decisions being made in real-time. The materiality of the piece really grabs you. The texture is palpable, like you could reach out and feel the ridges of the paint. Then, your eye is drawn to the wrapped torso, somehow both solid and ethereal. It reminds me a little of Philip Guston, who knew how to build a painting with a similar combination of force and vulnerability. Art is an ongoing conversation, a push and pull. And with "The Miracle," Damian has made a really memorable statement.