Monster Market

Oil paint on Canvas

2024

This painting, through depicting the protagonist as a solitary individual, forms a deep dialogue with Aristotle's famous quote, "Whosoever is delighted in solitude, is either a wild beast or a god." The quote suggests two extreme possibilities for those who choose or cannot integrate into society: either they are "monster" who cannot adapt to the social world, or they are "gods" endowed with extraordinary wisdom and power. In this painting, the protagonist may not be entirely a "monster" nor entirely a "monster," but rather exists somewhere between these two states. Each person is like a solitary monster, exploring, adapting, and surviving in their own way within the market, searching for the meaning of existence.