King’s electrifying portraits are influenced by three elements. Firstly, whilst growing up in Belfast during the Troubles, he was exposed to a high level of violence. As a coping mechanism he developed an attraction towards horror films and comics, in particular monsters such as the Wolfman or Dracula. Secondly, exposure to religion and the clashes between faiths seeped into his psyche, and with it the fascination towards early Christian martyrs and the tortures they endured for their beliefs. The third influence on his works is metamorphosis - the process of transformation that a person undergoes, not only through gradual aging but also from suffering, physical and mental. All three facets are linked and characters like the Wolfman and Dracula go through physical changes to become their true selves, whereas the early Christian martyrs suffered cruel torture - and therefore a painful way of transformation - to preserve their faith.
Image: Warren King, St Brendan The Navigator, 2020, acrylic on perspex, H600mm x W750 mm
Courtesy and ©Warren King and Renée Pfister, 2021. All rights reserved.
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