To Be or Not To Be

Knell Valdecañas

"To Be or Not To Be"
Oil on Canvas
24" x 36"
2021

This piece is inspired by The Hamlet by William Shakespeare and all about life and death. "To be or not to be" means "To live or not to live" (or "To live or to die"). it shows how painful and miserable human life is, and how death (specifically suicide) would be preferable, would it not be for the fearful uncertainty of what comes after death.

Knell Valdecañas is a free-spirited individual who perceives that art is an expression deeply associated with emotions. She sees herself as a silent observer and a stoic soul who cannot express herself in words. Hence, puts her sentiment through realistic distortion made with what lies beyond her surface; charcoal, acrylic, graphite, enriched into the form of brush whiffs and pencil strokes. She also believes that one should not think beyond the box but instead, must think that there is no box and when the mind is free to foster, one must create. She believes that through art, she is able to reach out and speak in volumes. Reckons that art sets her emotion and passion free. Whenever she feels extreme, she follows what her heart, mental activity and hand tells her to. Thus, making each craft distinct and passionate.