Pandora's Box
Acrylic on Canvas 100x120cm
“In a jar an odious treasure is shut by the gods’ wish:
A gift that’s not every day, the owner’s Pandora alone;
And her eyes, this in hand; Command the best in the land
As she flits near and far; Prettiness can’t stay shut in a jar.”
Metamorphoses (1676) – Ovid
Pandora’s box is one of the most recognizable and discussed artefacts from the Greek mythology. The box belonged to Pandora, the first human woman moulded on Zeus’s orders, who succumbed to her insatiable curiosity and opened the box only to unleash all the evils of humanity. The contents of the box are a matter of much debate, as some believe that along with all evil escaping its confines, the blessing of hope was also trapped in the box which was released for the betterment of humankind.
The recreation of Pandora’s box in this acrylic painting is an invitation for viewers to take a journey within and let one’s innate curiosity flow. The modern idiom that has become associated with this mythologised artefact is often used for its cautionary nature, however, this oeuvre honours the duality that lies at the heart of human enquiry. Are we bound to question and investigate everything that we do not know for our knowledge or wisdom? Or are there some mysteries better left unsolved?
Pandora’s Box
Acrylic on Canvas 100x120cm
“In a jar an odious treasure is shut by the gods’ wish:
A gift that’s not every day, the owner’s Pandora alone;
And her eyes, this in hand; Command the best in the land
As she flits near and far; Prettiness can’t stay shut in a jar.”
Metamorphoses (1676) – Ovid
Pandora’s box is one of the most recognizable and discussed artefacts from the Greek mythology. The box belonged to Pandora, the first human woman moulded on Zeus’s orders, who succumbed to her insatiable curiosity and opened the box only to unleash all the evils of humanity. The contents of the box are a matter of much debate, as some believe that along with all evil escaping its confines, the blessing of hope was also trapped in the box which was released for the betterment of humankind.
The recreation of Pandora’s box in this artwork is an invitation for viewers to take a journey within and let one’s innate curiosity flow. The modern idiom that has become associated with this mythologised artefact is often used for its cautionary nature, however, this oeuvre honours the duality that lies at the heart of human enquiry. Are we bound to question and investigate everything that we do not know for our knowledge or wisdom? Or are there some mysteries better left unsolved?
