"Black Hercules"
150 x 150 cm, Pastel on paper, 2022
In “Black Hercules,” the artist revisits the classic iconography of the mythological hero Heracles (Hercules), injecting new vitality and contemporary resonance through a bold and expressive interpretation. The massive figure of Hercules, rendered in deep tones of black, stands with an imposing, muscular presence, embodying brute strength and power. The contrast between the intense shadows of the sculptural body and the soft yellow background adds drama, drawing the eye to the complexity and texture of the figure.
The pastel technique on paper allows for a fineness of line and a richness of texture, capturing both the solidity of the flesh and the roughness of the bulging muscles. Hercules’ face, with its exaggerated and almost caricatured features, seems to blend a savage intensity with a grotesque strangeness, offering an alternative vision of the ancient hero, as if he had emerged from a time when myths had to adapt to modern realities. Flashes of black around the figure add a touch of abstraction, perhaps suggesting the fragmentation of the heroic image in a contemporary world in search of new models and narratives.
“Black Hercules” invites the viewer to rethink the notion of strength and masculinity through the prism of contemporary art. This choice to represent Hercules with a black and imposing body, using dark pastels, contrasts with idealized classical representations, offering an interpretation that questions our understanding of ancient myths and their place in modern visual culture. It is a reflection on the power, vulnerability and evolution of heroes through time.
