New "Passage of Our Ancestors" Palette Knife Painting by Niki Gulley

     

"Passage of Our Ancestors"  ©2023 Niki Gulley

28" x 16" textured mixed media painting on canvas

In “Passage of Our Ancestors,” I was remembering when we visited the catacombs in Paris. Miles of bones all stacked on top of one another had quite the profound overwhelming effect on me. What if there was a way to flip that underground darkness into a celebration of life and death? Hispanic culture embraces the Day of the Dead, so why couldn’t I see these lives lost in a diffrent light? Sorting through my photos, I was drawn to this section where the heads were arrranged in the shape of the cross. Femurs, tibias, etc. are stacked all around them, which I just hinted at in my painting. Painting the skulls in colorful technicolor starts to flip the narrative to a celebration of these precious souls. But, what I’m really looking forward to is hearing your interpretation.

E-mail Niki Gulley for more information on "Passage of Our Ancestors."

Or, to see more of my textured palette knife paintings, please visit nikigulley.com.