Artist bio

My name is Sofonias Daniel. I’m originally from Eritrea, who came to Canada recently. I’m a Holy Cross high school grade 12th student who graduated this year. I’m a self taught artist. My art works are basically connected with my upbringing and life experiences. As I grow with deep poverty and Massive economic and political crisis art was my main means of coping and adapting my life experiences. Hence this Art works I’m presenting are highly influenced by the specific situation I experienced living in Ethiopia as a refugee. Apparently I can say the gift and love of Art that grow up with me is not just a hobby but a means of surviving to the challenges I face as a person. Further more through this desire I have to base the intent and message of my art work in harmony with my experience, I guard the originality and authenticity of my work. Because the art works I’m presenting to this competition explicitly defines my experience as a person.

Title

The Duality

Medium/Genre

Other

Artist Statement

Originally this work was initiated by the dual force and identity I found my self led by in different times and situations. The joyful, peaceful, calm me, mostly expressed when I connected with my purpose and meaning in life. However there's another me though not invited but still showed up with anger, hatred, frustration and stress. Even the main motivation of this work was based on my internal struggle but with coming of the new global crisis of covid-19, I was drowned to extend my art further more to express the dual powers and forces that we are facing as human being since our existence in this planet. One version of us that strives for love, peace, harmony, respect and dignity to make the world a better place for all of us, yet the world also witnessed the other force who drown its strength through oppression, terror, violence, stress and chaos. Hence in this work I express the idea and motivation behind this work.

How it fits into contest

This Art work is initiated by the truth of Gods word written in Ephesians 6 and my interpretation and experience of that specific scripture in my life. Ephesians 6 basically explains the truth of dual powers and dual actions we everyday see around us and in us. Love and hatred, good and evil, justice and injustice, peace and stress, joy and sadness,,,. As human beings we know the presence of those all things but we don’t know why they’re here? Who brought and initiate them. Hence Ephesians explain us the source of both which is God as the source of all good things and the enemy as the source of all the bad things. God wants us to have the good things but the devil will not just watch and see us as having the good things so we have to fight for it. Our fight is spiritual fight and the battle field is our mind. Biased on our fighting skills sometimes the good overcomes the evil and sometimes the evil overcomes the good with in us, and by displaying two identities of me in my art work I’m trying to express those two identities with in me. The fight between good and evil or God( including us ) and devil is not a power fight cos ultimately God is way stronger than the devil and in the same manner love is powerful than hatred but the fight is of truth and lie. Hence when we calm our selves in meditation and prayer and connect with the truths of God and us we win the battle however when we carried away with what is around us, our situations and the lies of the enemy we lose our peace, calmness, gratitude and joy and ultimately we loose the battle. There far the message of Ephesians 6 in my art work is we win the fight by connecting our inner self with our creator and disconnecting from the what the enemy tries to persuade us, what our situation and surrounding shows us. This is my personal experience of Ephesians 6 displayed in my art work, the fight is real yet our victory is secure in God.

Credits

Artist - Sofonias Daniel
Model- Abel Haile

How to Purchase this Artwork

- Original pencil drawing on paper.
- Please contact for the price.

- Limited edition of 20 prints on archival
paper.
- Dimension - 16x20
- Hand signed, titled and numbered by the artist
- Price - $450 USD
Email- sofoniasdaniel10@gmail.com

Other Goods & Services Available from this Artist

I’m available for commission pieces.
- Pencil drawing
- Charcoal drawing
- Acrylic painting
- Oil Painting
- Pastel drawing
- Watercolour drawing
- Pen drawing

Submit Your Artwork Today!

Curious? Interested in submitting artwork to our contest? Know someone who might be? Through April 14th, 2022, the Engage Art Contest is open to the whole world! Get your foot in the door by claiming your Artist Page now!