Ariel Lamae Murphy Verified listing

My artwork explores the concept of life and death.Through my work I traverse how animals and people interact with, and coexist with death, and decomposition. These subjects will represent this process, not as something frightening or grotesque, but as a peaceful and natural part of existence. I convey this concept through recurring themes, and deliberate techniques/mark making. My skills with oil paint, allow me to explore this concept the best. The texture I am able to achieve, and the overall depth with the medium makes it ideal. Painting allows me to abstract the drawing through different techniques that enhance my concept in my artwork. I allow for parts of the underpainting stay visible. Organic shapes and marks are enhanced and encouraged in my artwork . These choices are intentional; they reflect the unfinished, evolving nature of life and decomposition. By revealing these underlying layers, I aim to suggest that there is more than just passing. That we are a part of a larger circle, and that nobody is fully finished and gone. One of the most consistent symbols in my work is the mushroom. Mushrooms draw life from decay, thriving on what has passed and transforming it into something new. This makes them a fitting metaphor for the cycles death. My compositions often feature organic forms—humans, animals, skulls—as well as creatures that symbolize death in folklore and nature, such as crows, ravens, and vultures.