18 2017

David Michael Hinnebusch created this work, employing mixed media on canvas. Immediately, the gaze is drawn to the face with the emphasized eyes. These eyes, gazing out at the viewer, remind us of ancient portraits found in the Fayum, Egypt. The intense stare is a prominent feature, intended to establish a direct and personal connection with the afterlife, to fix the image of the deceased in the memory of the living. Another symbol, the number 18, enclosed in a circle, floats above the figure. Numbers often carry mystical significance, think of the Kabbalah, each number having its own energy and secrets. The layering of imagery and media creates a palimpsest of personal and historical significance, inviting us to see how symbols evolve, carrying traces of their past into the present.