Jake Painting

The story of Jake Bilardi, an Australian teen who traveled to Iraq to become a suicide bomber for ISIL, prompted me to create this painting. He appears to have been drawn into a complex web of fanatical religious fervour, as are other young people who seek a cause which they believe is worth dying for. It seems that youth are particularly vulnerable to recruitment, especially if their outlook is complicated by mental health issues, and as was the case with Jake. I believe that in consumer-based secular societies, we should do a better job of providing youth like Jake with alternative positive causes to devote their energies to. Inspired by the work of Marlene Dumas, I was exploring the potential of watercolour as a medium to portray the idealistic but angst ridden expression on Jake's face, based on a photograph of him taken in Iraq prior to his 'mission'. Please note that the canvas can be rolled for shipping, as it is not mounted on a wooden frame.

Painting:Acrylic on Canvas

Original:One-of-a-kind Artwork

Size:21 W x 21 H x 0.2 D in

Delivery Time:Typically 5-7 business days for domestic shipments, 10-14 business days for international shipments.