Austin Alphonse: Oasis

"In my practice, I often reflect on the Greek myth of Sisyphus - a figure condemned to an endless and futile struggle. Sisyphus' eternal task, forever pushing a boulder uphill only to watch it roll back down, captures the inescapable, human cycle of toil and defeat. The allegory resonates with my work, which evokes the relentless nature of existence itself. Through themes of masculinity and contradiction, my paintings confront the viewer with the quiet and persistent weight of meaninglessness that shapes our lives. That struggle, devoid of resolution, becomes a metaphor for the existential tension that pervades the human experience, where we are condemned to push forward even when meaning remains elusive." 

 

— Austin Alphonse, September 7, 2024