El Zapato

El Zapato was created over two years. It explores themes that run through every life: how we are formed, what we are given, what we cannot control, and what we choose.

The untied shoelace. A headless figure walks along an untied shoelace. It speaks to our continual formation: we are always becoming, we cannot rush the process, and we cannot consider ourselves above others, because we are all walking the same path.

The bell tower. A bell tower rises from a fragile box. It is a direct critique of the Vatican and of the powers that have used the name of God to cause harm on Earth.

The royal flush. An almost unbeatable poker hand rests precariously on a ledge. It mirrors the cards we are dealt simply by existing, and the fragility of life itself.

The quilt and the boat. Flowing off the edge of the canvas, unmoored, they carry the passage of time, which moves on whatever our wishes. The boat’s drivers are blindfolded: time remains a mystery, with no name for its essence and no clear answer to how it works.

The tank of musical notes. A tank filled with musical notes represents the spiritual battle within every life. The notes can harmonize or clash, like the experiences that shape us.

The bar scene. Here is the world’s intoxication: lust sits close beside the blind, who unknowingly feed violence with their tools. Within the scene, a rhino beetle stands for great strength despite its small size, the resilience found in the natural world.

The man in three scenes. The same man appears three times, a reflection on the complexity of the human ego.

These are only some of the elements within El Zapato. The work is accompanied by an animated version of the illustration, delivered digitally, which can play on a perpetual loop so the viewer can keep discovering new layers of meaning.