Bipolar

Coloured pencil and ink pen on paper

60 × 40 cm / 23.6 × 15.7 in, 2019

Available — €900

The face is split in two, each half associated with one of the two poles of mood: depression and mania. The two halves are separated by a white gap that keeps apart pieces that could otherwise fit together perfectly.

That distance suggests two opposite ways of being in the world. On one side, the face appears drained and expressionless, marked by a lack of energy. On the other, the eyes, mouth and heavy make-up suggest a state of euphoria and heightened activation.

The work grows out of this inner split, from two states that seem irreconcilable and yet belong to the same identity.