"Needle Head Bridge"

This painting began with contemplating a commonly cited Bible quote in which Jesus says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God” (Matthew 19:24). I find the image amusing as well as the quote in light of the wealth accumulated by some contemporary preachers and evangelists who use spiritual teachings to exploit vulnerable people. The work explores this contradiction between spiritual teaching and material excess.

The bridge itself is imagined as a monumental structure inspired by the head of a sewing needle, transforming an everyday object into an imposing architectural form set against an ominous red landscape. It spans the fictional metropolis of Jet City, where towering skyscrapers are modelled on the blades of a jet turbine.

Jet City is sustained by the physical and emotional labour of its inhabitants. A city built for speed and powered by the blood of its people, with dangerous levels of cortisol that flows through the surrounding rivers and streams. The painting uses surreal architecture and symbolism to reflect a culture that glorifies wealth while obscuring from view the human cost that sustains it.