Opening Saturday 17 May, between 2pm and 7pm.
After his solo debut WILT, Guy Rubicon presents his latest paintings in an exhibition for Gallery Hioco Delany, titled FLOWERS AND DEMONS. With this second solo, Rubicon refines his style further and deepens his exploration of moral themes.
It’s not the first time Rubicon brings abstract dreamscapes and mythical creatures to life on canvas. Yet the works in FLOWERS AND DEMONS feel more intuitive. For this exhibition, the artist allowed his subconscious to take the lead in a months-long creative journey that produced countless pencil sketches. This approach resulted in a more confident translation of the artist’s vision. By consciously limiting his use of color, Rubicon introduces visual continuity throughout the work — an element he considers essential.
Recurring symbols also ensure visual coherence. In FLOWERS AND DEMONS, they take the shape of blossoms, knightly figures, and magical creatures.
The knight, a figure that has appeared in previous work, is an ambiguous being: neither hero nor enemy. Is this knight coming to claim death, or does he offer us a helping hand? By leaving this question unsolved, Rubicon illustrates how each of us carries both virtue and vice. This symbolism is inspired by psychologist Carl Jung’s theory of individuation. According to this theory, a person can only become whole once they dare to accept their unconscious shadow — an idea Rubicon translates on canvas by creating figures that feel both familiar and unsettling. Although the theory dates back to 1912, it remains relevant today.
This shadow side takes a literal shape with demons at the center of some paintings. These creatures, formally inspired by the work of manga and anime artists such as Go Nagai, symbolize autocratic or extreme politicians who often personify the thoughts and feelings we dare not express. They stand for an unknown self that resides in all of us — one that throws the moral compass off balance and only becomes visible when it takes on grotesque proportions. If the figures in Rubicon’s work evoke discomfort, it may be because we recognize ourselves in them.
The flower, a symbol of beauty, stands in stark contrast to the dark figures and scenes that dominate the work. The variations of flora, often tucked into corners, are not only an ode to the beautiful but also a reflection of the artist’s immediate surroundings. As in real life, they offer a necessary counterbalance to acts of horror. For Rubicon, the relentless beauty of nature is one of the few answers to the cruelty of humanity we are confronted with on a daily basis.
In FLOWERS AND DEMONS, opposites come together in a world that is as mythical as it is real — a world where beauty and violence are inseparably linked.
Text by Jens Roothoofd
