Royalty
Royalty is a series born from my study of historical monarchies and the formal portraits crafted by the Old Masters—images meticulously composed to reflect how the powerful wished to be seen. My intent is not to cast the historical elite in a negative light but rather to offer a fresh perspective: one that uncovers the unseen and unspoken moments behind the throne.
Through research spanning ancient texts, Biblical accounts, historical records, documentaries, and film, I observed a familiar polarity in how monarchs are received: they are either idolized or condemned, rarely afforded nuance. Yet behind the stiff posture and pageantry of royal portraiture lies a more textured reality—daily courtyard life, untamed gardens, rebellious heirs.
The works in this series seek to illuminate those hidden scenes, with nuanced glimpses of royalty not as they were immortalized but instead as they might have been in the history books never written.
