Ascender

Ascender

2025

Smoke and oil on canvas

120 x 100 cm | 47.2 x 39.4 in.

USD 3,500

Unavailable

Description

Miguel Hernández Bastos employs a unique technique in his artworks, using pencil, charcoal, acrylic paint, and the unconventional medium of smoke from an oil lamp, which burns onto the canvas like pigment. This distinctive approach allows him to explore themes of metamorphosis and the fleeting essence of the human form, while also incorporating historical symbolism associated with the candle in Renaissance portraiture.

In Ascender, Hernández Bastos presents two figures stretching upward in mirrored arcs, their bodies formed through layered applications of smoke and oil. The composition is charged with upward momentum, yet the soft edges and muted palette keep the scene grounded in quiet intensity.

Hernández Bastos often integrates mechanical elements into his compositions, such as this one, as his figures seem to float and merge across the canvas, imbuing his works with a futuristic quality. Despite this, he balances historical symbolism with themes of eroticism, tenderness, and isolation, creating a multi-dimensional narrative.

Predominantly working in black and white, Hernández Bastos often applies subtle colour over smoke to add depth and enhance the presence of his figures.

Framing not included.
Shipping: This artwork will be rolled for shipment.

Additional information

Weight 4 kg
Dimensions 300 × 15 × 15 cm
color

Brown, Grey, Yellow

Price

USD 2,000 – 5,000

size

large