Midnight 22: Sweaty Forehead

Midnight 22: Sweaty Forehead is an multidisciplinary hybrid object fusing three paintings into one. 16X 20 inches

This artwork is a direct translation of the human psyche under duress — specifically the internal dissonance of the overthinker.
The title marks the exact moment a complex mental state began to solidify into a visual concept, born from a severe wave of anxiety that followed an intense phobia.

Driven by the need to externalize this inner flood of thoughts, I conceived this work as a challenge:
to make three paintings become one hybrid object.

THE FIRST PAINTING — THE MIND
A fragmented figure on the main canvas struggles against visceral materiality — layers of clay, modeling paste, and textured sand.
The surface is disrupted by typography: words from a personal poem are printed and embedded, blending writing and image.
The text functions not just as language, but as texture — a physical manifestation of relentless, chaotic thought.

THE SECOND PAINTING — THE FRAME / FILTER
A detached canvas border overlays the figure.
It acts as a visual filter and continues the theme of word-as-texture, highlighting how external structures (a frame, a routine) try — and often fail — to contain internal chaos.

THE THIRD PAINTING — THE FEAR
The reverse side exposes the raw origin of the anxiety.
It moves beyond a specific phobia (striped flying insects) and confronts universal fears:
the fear of time, of aging, and of being overwhelmingly exposed — surrounded by light.

This work challenges the viewer to look past the calm exterior and face the intricate, often terrifying landscape of the mind.
The installation is intended to be viewed in darkness, emphasizing the claustrophobic and hidden nature of this internal struggle.

Medium: canvas, acrylic paint, charcoal, acrylic ink pens, oil pastel, modeling paste, graphite, sand, ceramic clay, Mod Podge, heavy gloss gel.



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