2024 Finalists

This artwork dives deeply into the existential condition of the artist, drawing from Schopenhauer’s philosophy that “to live is to desire, and to desire is to suffer.” The composition, with its stark contrasts between deep black and earthy red tones, speaks to the emotional and psychological burden of being a creator. The faceless, unfinished figure represents the artist in a state of constant contemplation, embodying the solitude and doubt that accompany the creative process.

The floating knife, sharp and suspended, serves as a metaphor for the relentless tension of creation. It symbolizes the self-criticism, the fear of failure, and the existential question of whether creation itself is a futile or painful endeavor. Its shadow suggests that this threat is omnipresent in the artist’s life.

Schopenhauer posited that the artist, unlike others, confronts the deeper, hidden truths of the world — expressing the “Idea” beyond the veil of individual desire. Yet, in the act of creation, the artist must grapple with the fundamental nature of desire itself, which leads inevitably to suffering. The artist’s struggle, then, is one of transcending personal ego and the mundane cravings of the world, while still being consumed by the desire to create.

On a personal level, this piece is a reflection of the inner struggle I face as an artist. For me, being a creator is, in many ways, a suicidal act. Every day, I confront the desire to express the incomprehensible, the inexplicable — the emotions that elude words. This drive to create is fueled by an inner compulsion, yet it also comes with profound doubt. In the current societal model, where creation is often undervalued or commodified, I find myself in a perpetual state of killing my ego in order to continue. I must destroy the part of myself that seeks recognition or certainty, embracing the void of uncertainty so that I can create from a place of raw authenticity.

This tension is reflected in the incomplete figure: the artist is always in process, never fully realized, always striving to grasp the ungraspable. The daily act of creation is both a form of self-destruction and rebirth—a constant cycle of doubt and transcendence, driven by the inexorable desire to make sense of that which words cannot explain.

Through this work, I invite viewers to contemplate what it means to be an artist in a world where desire brings suffering, and yet, through that suffering, the artist continues to create. It is an act of survival, a paradox where the desire to express becomes both the source of life and the burden of existence.

(8/33)