The minotaur

Yassine ESSOUAF

The minotaur

2024

This artwork is a vibrant and dreamlike composition reminiscent of a Flamenco dance, depicting a dynamic struggle between opposing forces. It blends mythological symbolism with deep inner exploration. At its center, a golden bull, symbolizing Taurus, strength, primal instincts, and vitality, engages in a noble dance with two seemingly divine human figures. These ethereal, nude figures swirl within a flowing red fabric, which symbolizes passion, blood, and life, contrasting with the cooler blue and green landscape, resembling a maze of wheat fields. This contrast creates a balance between the earthly and the celestial, with the constellations of Taurus and Virgo embodying this harmony. The two figures, one holding scissors and the other a candle, embody creation and destruction, light and shadow. The golden scissors, linked to the thread of life emerging from the woman's hair, represent the power to sever ties or alter fate, while the candle symbolizes consciousness and inner exploration within a world imbued with beauty and enigma. The green masks, detached from the characters' faces, symbolize the complexity of human identity, particularly the struggle to transcend imposed roles and the internal oscillation between different facets of the self. The turbulent dark sky, illuminated by a mysterious light emanating from the celestial tree of life, reflects spiritual turbulence and emotional conflict. The spiral movements of the figures evoke an eternal cycle of struggle between human instincts, reason, and primal desires. I was inspired to create this piece during my time near Bouskoura, on the outskirts of Casablanca, where vast wheat fields radiate immense energy. I reflected on themes of identity, desire, and control over primal urges. The symbolism of the Minotaur emerged in this contemplation, representing the dual nature of human existence a fusion of strength, savagery, and nobility. This myth has fascinated poets like Ted Hughes and James Merrill, and artists like Picasso who used the Minotaur's symbolism in their creative works. In fact, the myth of the Minotaur has established a special place in Greek mythology. It has appeared in numerous works on Greek mythology, igniting the imagination of authors, writers, and novelists, who produced masterpieces based on this captivating legend. One cannot overlook its presence in Dante's "Divine Comedy" particularly in *Inferno*. Ultimately, this painting is a cosmic dance that invites the viewer to reflect on their own search for meaning, their relationship with light and darkness, life and death, animality and divinity. Here, the Minotaur becomes more than just a mythological figure; it becomes a symbol of the eternal conflict between humanity and its own nature.

Oil

on canvas

154.5 × 203 cm

Original work

Add to Wishlist

Spiritual Mother

2021

Add to Wishlist

Morpheus

2021

Add to Wishlist

The light barrier

2021