Tension

“Tension” is a symbolic painting that merges human, animal, and plant forms into a single, charged image. A tree-like figure stands at the center, its roots exposed and gripping the earth while its branches stretch outward in sharp, restless directions. At the heart of the trunk appears an owl’s face—calm, watchful, and unsettling—suggesting awareness, wisdom, or an inner witness embedded within the body.

The contrast between the grounded roots and the strained, reaching branches creates a palpable sense of pull in opposing directions: stability versus expansion, containment versus eruption. The turbulent sky and swirling colors intensify this feeling, echoing emotional unrest and inner conflict. The owl’s steady gaze does not resolve the tension but holds it, as if acknowledging its inevitability.

Rather than depicting tension as a moment of rupture, the painting presents it as a state of being—one in which growth, consciousness, and strain coexist. Tension invites the viewer to consider how inner balance is often forged not through release, but through the sustained holding of opposing forces.