A man with a thick black beard holds aloft a toilet plunger and a frying pan. On his head he wears a colander. He is unclothed, and has a large tatoo on his right arm.
Liam Robinson (b.1991), Self-portrait as Ares, Greek God of War, 2018. © Liam Robinson. Photo © National Gallery of Ireland, Photographer: Roy Hewson.

Liam Robinson

Self-portrait as Ares, Greek God of War, 2018

Coloured pencil, pencil, acrylic pen on card, 42 x 59.4 cm

‘Ares was seen primarily by the Spartans as an apotheosis of the perfect soldier—a god with bloodthirsty aggression and a proclivity for destruction.

Replacing the sword, shield and helmet for the humble frying pan, plunger and colander I have transmogrified him from his original embodiment into a symbol of empowerment for modern breadwinners; those who trudge to their “nine-to-fives”, whilst battling the constant threats of mental health issues, risks of homelessness and addiction, as well as the everyday onslaught of negative media.’

 

Liam Robinson is a civil servant working in Dublin. Having graduated with a BA in Art History from UCD in 2013, he has spent the last six years rediscovering his desire to capture the human form. Born and raised in a council estate in south Finglas, he has drawn from his working-class upbringing to imbue his work with unflinching recalcitrance and a confrontational atmosphere, whilst maintaining a connection to artistic tradition. He mainly focuses on the juxtaposition between ancient and modern issues and the repetitive requirements of solutions of the mundane through a lens of clarity and precision. 

 

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