The Shadow of the Son

This work approaches human existence under psychic strain. Despite its recognisable Christian iconography, the figure is treated as a universal emblem of the father–son bond and the ache of abandonment: a portrait of a “sacrificed” self, with pain made tangible through the opened chest wound and tearful eyes. Rendered as a negative, the image draws on C. G. Jung’s notion of the shadow—those disowned traits, unmet desires and unresolved conflicts that are often repressed. The luminous body against a dark ground turns the interior outward, making the hidden visible. The figure becomes a vessel for isolation and the search for repair within one’s own biography, entering a psychological space where suffering and insight are inseparable.