"THE AWAKENING OF LAZARUS 2016 50X40" Painting

Michael Delarge
Manchester, 1987 | Painter

Michael Delarge is a Manchester-based painter whose practice is centred on visual form and the exploration of the human condition. Drawing from lived experience, personal reflection, failure, contradiction, and the complexities of contemporary life, his paintings seek to communicate psychological and emotional states through expressive portraiture and movement.

2015–2017
During this period, Delarge developed a body of work centred around conceptual characters, using portraiture as a means of encouraging viewers to recognise aspects of themselves within the figures presented. The works explore inner conflict and contemporary emotional struggles, informed by experiences of working-class life and the complexities of cultural identity.

A recurring concern within this work is the gradual loss of cultural tradition and connection, particularly through the experience of living away from one's country of origin. Delarge considers how technological development and social media have transformed human interaction, questioning whether increased digital connectivity has, paradoxically, contributed to a decline in meaningful social connection.

These ideas are expressed through traditionally painted portraits, with each character conveying a distinct psychological presence through facial expression, gesture, pose, and environment. The intention is to create an emotional point of recognition, allowing viewers to connect with the figures through their own experiences and memories.

2017–Present
Since 2017, De Large's practice has evolved towards capturing movement and transformation within the painted surface. Figures appear to move through, dissolve into, or leave trails of paint across the canvas, creating a sense of transience and psychological flux.

These works occupy a dreamlike space between reality and abstraction, exploring themes of beauty, identity, vanity, and the impermanence of the human experience. Paint becomes both the representation of the figure and a physical trace of its movement, suggesting the presence of a soul leaving a mark behind.

Selected Sales & Commissions
Delarge's paintings have been collected internationally, with works sold to clients across the United States, Canada, China, Australia, and Europe. Since beginning to sell his work in 2007, he has sold over 50 original paintings to private collectors.