Image: The NFT Persephone - Ray Caesar/Gallery House My exclusive management gallery Gallery House | Belinda Chun and I alongside Hendricks Gin are thrilled to unveil my first NFT via Rarible to raise funds for artists in the UK via the charitable arm of the Saatchi Gallery Learning Programme.
To view and bid on my first NFT please visit here--> https://rarible.com/hendricksginnft - the auction is open NOW until Thursday 23 September. Good luck!
About the NFT The piece I created for Hendricks Gin is called “Persephone” and is about the loss of loved ones to the pandemic. Persephone is a symbol of hope after a hard winter, being the Goddess of spring and new growth. The promise that spring and growth will return and that all seasons have cycles is central to the myth.
The story of Persephone has always intrigued me as she took what was forced upon her and made the underworld itself into a heaven for the blessed-on Earth. Her story is one of empowerment and making the best of a bad situation. The very concept of making a hell into a home was created by Persephone and instead of waiting to be rescued by some hapless hero, she turned hell itself into a heaven by sheer will and determination. In this piece the Goddess of the underworld is awaiting the arrival of those coming to the underground station of Elysian Fields. The realm of Elysium is the part of Underworld reserved for the Blessed and the Heroic and Good. The helmet or mask of thorns is a sign of protection from harm.
Persephone is sometimes depicted as the ruler of the underworld and sometimes as the wife of Hades but it’s obvious in any version of the myth of who was really in charge. Persephone, who was known for her gentle kindness, had Hades on bended knee and had him create light and hope in the land of darkness and death by simply having a vision of kindness. Poor Hades …he simply had no idea of what he was getting himself into when he brought light, love and hope and kindness into his dark realm.