New Aura Painting Series - CRUX (Sebastian)

At times in my work I stumble on very complicate energy patterns which are not always easy to capture on canvas. The portrait that I have done for Sebastian W. Suh, singer of the Korean band Crux, is undoubtedly one of these cases and, I can easily say, one of the most complex aura-inspired portraits I have created so far. Since the first time I had the opportunity to watch Sebastian performing on stage, what captured my attention was not the show itself by the complexity of the front-man's strong stage persona and energy. It is definitely him who makes watching Crux live a somehow futuristic experience (in additions to it his talent with languages allows him to easily interact with foreign fans so that everyone can follow what's happening on stage)

Photo by Simaris SJ

The vision that I had from Sebastian's unique energy is that of a time traveller who has lived a number of lives, witnessed past and present but comes from the dark atmospheres of a Blade Runner-esque metropolis of the future. I tried to find a photo from the film to illustrated the same vibes that I had and which I attempted to convey in my work. There is something dark and evil lingering in the shadow as well as some feeling of redemption.

For this reason, I created a lot of lines and circular shapes in the painting aiming to give the feeling of the inner working of mechanical clocks in continuous movement (like the time that never stops). The surface has been coated with a glossy paint so to give the idea of lights sparkling in the darkness. Unfortunately this effect does not come out on the photo below but has to be seen on the original work.

CRUX (Sebastian)
~ The time traveller from the future ~

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New Aura Painting Series - CRUX (신영)

For someone who has many gigs under her belt such as myself, meeting a band that is acting friendly and nice to fans is always an awesome experience. During one of my last weekends in Korea I was invited by CRUX's drummer, 신영, to go and see the band playing live at a small local metal club. Not only their live performance was a pleasure to watch, in particular because if felt really intimate (not many people were there but the band give it all anyway), but it was the friendliness of the band after the show ended that made the show really memorable.

Photo by Simaris SJ (시마)

In return for the kind invitation and, most important, for making me feel rather welcome on the night, I wanted to express my thanks through my painting (since they seem to like what I do...I find always overwhelming when people I do not know seem to like my work).
The first aura portrait is of CRUX's drummer, 신영, the person who kindly sent me the invitation and really made me discover the band.

Photo by Simaris SJ (시마)

From the very first moment I met 신영 in person is kind nature and protective energy reminded me so much of that of a mighty fire that keeps people safe and warm in the middle of the night. However, as the fire can burn you if you get too near, so this powerful aura gives the powerful vibes of protection and threatening at the same time. It was not easy for me to find in internet an image similar to the vision that I had (which was more of a fire in the midst of the forest) but I think that these still might well represent the same feeling of comfort and peacefulness, as well as destructive power, I had in mind when painting.

For this piece I primarily used a lot of bright gold and red tones but I also added a glittering coat to mimic the reflection of the flames. I truly hope this painting conveys the warmth as well as the power of CRUX's drummer, that of a fire in a cold winter night.

CRUX (신영)
~ The mighty fire in the winter night ~