nosce te ipsum

Been wanting to do a painting based on the final JayVik sequence for a while but wasn’t sure how I wanted to reinterpret it. When I saw the JayVik version of The Creation of Adam by coatsinkleaf on IG I knew I wanted to try putting my own spin on it.

I didn’t have a super clear idea of where I was going with this when I first started so I kept flipping back and forth between the feeling of “oh my god this is a disaster it looks so bad” and “hold on let me cook” lol.

No hyper fixation is complete for me unless I wrap it up in a Catholic metaphor at least once and Arcane is no exception. Been wanting to do a piece depicting Viktor as a martyr or lamenting saint for a while now. Part of this pose was inspired by the painting below, though I did a cropped version because I knew I wanted to put more detail into his face.

Instead of the pure, angelic vibe that Mary has I wanted something more raw. A martyr who knowingly puts others before himself in spite of the great personal cost. Something with the vibes of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane begging god to remove this burden from him, then knowingly going through the actions that lead to his eventual arrest and death.

This is not done in an attempt to excuse Victor’s behavior, rather, it’s meant to depict how he sees the mission he’s bestowed upon himself with his second life. With each evolution Viktor performs his power grows weaker as he drains himself of his own life force. And yet in spite of this he is determined to continue his work. He will continue pouring from his own cup long after it is empty. Maybe this was why fate brought him back. Perhaps this is the cross he must bear.

I’m very excited to see this as a print and I already have plans for a holographic option.

The Death card in tarot is symbolic of endings and beginnings, birth and rebirth, change and transformation. The card symbolises the end of a major phase or aspect of your life that you realise is no longer serving you. One door must close so a better one can open

This marks the 3rd installment of my Arcane tarot series. The Hanged Man is traditionally depicted as a man upside down hung by his ankle with an expression that suggests that he’s there of his own accord. Other interpretations include wisdom, circumspection, discernment, trials, surrender, sacrifice, intuition, divination, and prophecy.

Enjoy some texture 👇