Artist bio

My name is Eugene Cabaluna and I am from Coquitlam, Canada. I am a local artist who specialises in landscape and nature-based paintings. Ever since I was younger, I've always loved everything art, however, work and family has definitely restricted my free time which was once used for painting. Participating in this competition really helped motivate me to get back into the medium, as well as reflect on my role as a devoted catholic.

Title

A Battle of Good and Evil

Medium/Genre

Painting

Artist Statement

Being a religious person myself, there have already been many times where I had painted those in the bible. Normally, I would paint specific people, like Jesus or the Mother of God, so this piece was different than what I was used to as it depicts two nameless beings. I wanted to display a fight between good and evil, so this is what I came up with when personifying the two. Throughout my process, I tried to incorporate as many bible verses (relating to Ephesians) into my work as I have always been the type to look at the bigger picture and add details that would draw the viewer in.

In the piece, I wanted colour to be strictly limited to those on the fight for good. Adding on, I limited myself to just shades of yellow and red, as these colours are known to grab attention as well as evoke different feelings in the viewer. For example, yellow is meant to represent happiness and fulfilment, in addition to the fact that it is commonly associated with heaven. On the other hand, I chose red as it evokes feelings of power and strength. These two combined gives a stark contrast to the white, grays, and blacks that I used for the rest of the piece, showing how the being of good shines above the rest.

I wanted the art style to be a sort of collage of crude shapes and silhouettes. This is due to the fact that I felt that too much detail within the characters would start to stray away from the true meaning of the piece. I wanted viewers to look at the piece for its meaning, not for its realism within the people it depicts. This art style gives it an eye-catching design that grabs your attention from afar, but keeps you looking at it when you come closer so you can take in the other details of the piece.

How it fits into contest

I wanted to depict the battle that Ephesians describes by cutting the work into two pieces - showing the good, and showing the evil. On the left depicts the good, a figure donning the "armour of god". I took inspiration from Spartan Warriors, using their gold and red armour as an artistic rendition of God's, as well as a way to draw the viewers in. The hero is depicted in a jumping stance, fighting the personification of evil which stands before it. In addition to Ephesians, I wanted to also depict some of the related verses, specifically 2 Corinthians 11:14-15. By painting both beings in a similar fashion (the only main difference being the amount of colour), I tried to convey how those who are evil can masquerade as those who are good. However, you must learn to be able to differentiate between the two, by observing and realizing what is right and wrong. I also tried to convey in the piece how the path to God is not an easy one to follow. The background shows different angles and "paths" that people may take throughout their journey through life. The figures behind the main two depict people who are praying, running away, succumbing to the devil, and realizing how to become a follower of god. Everyone has to go through a battle of good and evil, so the painting depicts the different paths people may take. One of the figures depicts a young child who is coloured in both the red and yellow that the hero of the painting is seen in. This is because I wanted to depict how, through witnessing god and his endeavours by reading the bible, going to church, etc., we can learn how to be disciples of God. The painting depicts their realization, something that we all should strive for when going through our own paths in life.

Credits

Eugene Cabaluna - Painter
Lisa Cabaluna, Mary Cabaluna, Jazmine Cabaluna (Wife and daughters): Provided ideas, recommendations, and insight on the painting

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