THANATOS

Thanatos takes its name from the winged personification of death in Greek tradition. The work does not illustrate the myth literally. It draws on the figure’s quiet, inevitable presence to construct a contemporary sculptural apparition.

A pale skull holds the centre of the composition. Large ivory plumes open on either side like wings, while dried golden botanical details and pearl-like elements punctuate the black ground. The expansion is theatrical, yet the face remains still.

The mask is formed in plaster and worked by hand with professional cosmetic makeup. A practice associated with the living face passes into sculpture; the shadow-box frames the moment between appearance, flight and disappearance.