Filipino artist Nam Das only dedicated himself fully to painting this year, but that didn’t stop him from already becoming a familiar name in the art circles. Das’ art is inspired by Jungian archetypes, mythology, and history, which come together in his beautiful oil paintings.
Das likes to say he tells open-ended visual stories with his paintings, taking several different elements and putting them together to serve a central idea.
“I think these images I create are a kind of Rorschach test for the viewer: it always depends on how the viewer perceives the symbolism he sees,” Das told Skarno in a recent interview. “We have this instinct for seeing patterns in everything and we sometimes regulate our lives around these signs. Recurring archetypes on my paintings are about the unknown, transformation, cycles, anima, animus, etc. If the painting gives the viewer a cathartic feeling while looking at it then I’d have done my job well.”
Another impressive thing about Das’ paintings is the fact that he uses only four colors: Titanium White, Cadmium Red, Yellow Ochre, and Ivory Black. This limited pallet is his homage to Swedish artist Anders Zorn.