S T O R Y

On small island in the Philippines, Mali and I were driving our motorbike on a jungle road when we had to make a  stop at a small street mechanic. We were tired and frustrated so I decided it would be better to go for a walk and try to figure out where in the world we had ended up. Now, for this story, we need to get perspective. The village I was exploring seemed was completely overcast in deep dark shadows. But this is when I find a place that I will never forget.

I stop on the road and stare stunned at a glowing, fire-like anomaly I see in the distance. Like the great wall of china, there is is this towering, unbroken, impenetrable tree line that went on forever, causing us to be in this darkness, but to my amazement, it looked like it was all on fire. I have to see what it is. As I make my way over, I find myself wading through a dumping ground of old broken down machinery. It felt like some sort of quest! To reach the glowing trees, I had to first overcome the post apocalyptical ‘Mad Max’-like-world, by climbing through half buried machines and wreckages that looked like they were being devoured by the swamp land I was in. SO imagine this, here I am standing in this junk yard, its cold and dark and I have finally made it right to the tree line, and its crazier up close… the tree trunks were glowing in golden light. The contrast was astounding. I stare completely confused, I mean how is that even possible? But, spilled through the trees, in front of me in the dark, is a small ring of fiery light. I have to figure out what is going on, so I step in, and instantly I start to feel sweat bursting out of me like I’m burning alive. I struggle to look up through the trees because the light was blinding white. As I adjust and step through the actual tree line, what I saw was pretty much my artwork. It was like stepping into a celestial paradise. There were rolling hills upon hills of rice fields that were glistening gold, and a carabao (buffalo) is just standing there, a few meters away, staring at me. I was like those kids that fell through their wardrobe into Narnia. I was like Alice when she fell down that hole and woke up stunned, because this scene was other worldly. It was majestic. Birds were like living flames sitting on top of this beast and swarms of blazing bugs were rising and falling out of the tall grass as if imitating my slowed breathing. A soft golden haze covered the land like mist, and caves of diamonds had nothing on the sparkles coming of the watery rice fields. I stood for as long as I could take the heat, soaking in this scene that felt unreal. so when I got home, I painted this trying to capture my experience. The girl wasn’t on his back but I added her really personify the emotion of that experience. She is the buffalos personality

D E S C R I P T I O N

Original Size- 100cm x 75cm

Prints- Available Here

Media- Oil on canvas

H O W   T O  P U R C H A S E

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