Society is mad, It’s compulsory to adhere
herd mentality.

I focused on the idea of humans striving to attain higher social status as a means of achieving better living conditions in today’s society. This mindset is often instilled through education and competition.

To explore this theme, I analyzed films such as Inventing Anna and The Wolf of Wall Street, which depict the almost animalistic drive for individuals to ascend to higher social classes.

Building on this, I investigated another film, The Menu, which highlights class distinctions through a fundamental human action: eating. Eating is a natural, animalistic behavior tied to our survival instinct, and I drew parallels between the desire for higher social status and a modern survival instinct.

For symbolism, I researched sheep and zombies as representations of herd mentality. Sheep are widely recognized as symbols of conformity, while zombies are characterized by their mindlessness, adding a disturbing and thought-provoking element to the piece.

I conducted research and experimented with drawing sheep. This process allowed me to explore the animal’s shape, texture, features, and overall anatomy in detail.

These drafts focus on conveying the idea of communal pressure and the act of eating as a trigger for madness, as well as highlighting the differences between the poor and the rich. This concept is expressed through elegant settings, delicate silverware, and long communal tables. My research into eating environments, particularly the contrasts between socioeconomic classes, played a significant role in shaping this idea.

Next, I began planning my drafts using various composition techniques and perspectives. My goal was to create imagery that felt disturbing and inhuman, emphasizing the message of humans descending into madness due to the herd mentality of blindly following a higher class. I incorporated elements of shock and visual distortion to amplify this theme.

For this project, I experimented with photography and digital painting as part of the planning process. This approach allowed me to carefully refine the composition and reduce the likelihood of unexpected mistakes before transitioning to painting on the canvas.

I created numerous paint swatches during the painting process. To refine my idea, I began by taking photos of the poses I wanted to depict. Then, I sketched the composition on the canvas, outlined it with a fineliner, and finally added layers of paint to bring the image to life.

The main message I intended to convey was the blind desire one has towards higher social, economical class, that they devoured their true self like a beast, an animal. Which is murder, suicide in an abstract way.