An important commission exploring the themes of industry, nature, destruction, and transformation is now behind us—but the conversation doesn’t end there.
In an age where the climate crisis is more urgent than ever, my latest commissioned painting, Hope in Spite of Doom, delves into the complex relationship between humanity and the natural world. It reflects on our tendency to extract and exploit nature’s resources in pursuit of progress, pleasure, and often, unchecked ambition.
We rarely pause to question our daily actions or consider their long-term consequences, lost in the rhythm of modern life.
Humanity has created extraordinary things—cars, automation, production systems, tools that simplify our existence, psychological and spiritual developments, etc. But we often push these innovations to the extreme. That pressure, I believe, stems from an unwillingness to fully accept ourselves. We are made of both light and shadow, yet we suppress the uncomfortable parts of our nature. This denial disrupts our inner balance and allows destruction to emerge.
Of course, destruction is also inherent in nature—wildfires, floods, earthquakes—these are forces beyond our control. And we are part of nature too. The real question is: can we learn to live in greater harmony with it? Can we slow down the endless hustle toward “more” and instead ask, what is enough? Is our current trajectory leading us toward extinction—or can we turn it around?
There must be hope. And we must do all we can to make life on Earth not just sustainable, but deeply meaningful. While we prepare for potential futures beyond this planet, let’s not forget our responsibility to this one.
Drop a comment below on this topic, I would love to hear your opinions.