M. or how I died during my lifetime... 2007

Alfred Freddy Krupa made this ink drawing, M. or how I died during my lifetime..., with what looks like a brush on paper, and what grabs me first is its raw energy. It's like he’s not just depicting death, but feeling it, wrestling with it in real time. The ink, it's not delicate, it’s put down with a kind of aggressive grace. See how the lines vary from thick, almost pooling darkness to these fragile, broken strokes. The skull has this halo thing going on, right? But it’s made of these chaotic swirls. Then the wing just shoots out with a real sense of movement. It reminds me a bit of some of Goya’s darker works, where he’s staring unflinchingly at the horrors of the world. But Krupa brings a distinctly contemporary feel, a kind of punk rock sensibility to these themes. It's a reminder that art isn't about answers, but about the questions we keep asking ourselves.