Birds, 2026

Oil on canvas

Work explores the impact of authoritarian systems on individual identity through themes of propaganda, ideological control, and conformity. The figures form a uniform, regulated society in which individuality, critical thinking, and emotional resilience have gradually been eroded by systemic pressure. Constructed like a puzzle, the composition is disrupted by a single displaced fragment, symbolising the inherent fragility of even the most rigid systems and suggesting that imposed order can be challenged. The elongated noses allude to the false promises and illusions sustained by propaganda, while the ironic title “Birds” contrasts with the depicted reality of confinement, obedience, and the loss of freedom. Inspired by the growing influence of propaganda, information manipulation, and contemporary geopolitical tensions, the work reflects on the vulnerability of human identity within systems of political and ideological control.