Virgin Mary by BW
Explore Mondoir Studio
Medium: Silkscreen print on art paper
Dimensions: 42 x 59.4 cm
Edition production year: 2024
Edition of 100
Price: $500.00 USD
Status: available
In creating this piece, I wanted to explore the tension between the sacred and the secular, the timeless and the contemporary. The image of the Virgin Mary, a symbol of purity and devotion, holding a modern luxury handbag serves as a commentary on our society's fixation with materialism. It's an invitation to reflect on what we truly value and how these objects of desire can overshadow deeper, more meaningful aspects of life. The stark contrast in the composition, with the monochromatic depiction of Mary against the bold, branded bag, is intentional. It highlights the intrusion of consumer culture into spaces where it traditionally has no place. The silkscreen technique adds a raw, almost rebellious texture, underscoring the provocative nature of the message. I hope viewers will pause and consider the allure of luxury goods and how they shape our identities and priorities. My aim is to spark a conversation about the balance between spiritual and material wealth, encouraging a deeper look at what we hold sacred in our own lives.
Why collect this work?
A devotional figure presents a luxury handbag where sacred art might place an attribute or offering, redirecting reverence toward branded consumption.
- BW states that he uses stencil-based screenprints to address social and political tensions. For this 2024 work, he describes the collision of sacred imagery and luxury branding as a critique of materialism.
- The supplied image shows a frontal, largely monochrome figure surrounded by open paper. Dark marks concentrate around her face, robes, hands and handbag, while one red monogram makes the commodity the composition’s strongest accent.
- The documented medium is silkscreen print on art paper. Flat black-and-white contrasts make figure and product read as reproducible signs, while the restricted red sharpens their visual hierarchy.
- The work can anchor a collection or display examining how familiar religious images are repurposed within consumer culture. Its pointed substitution connects devotional presentation, commercial display and the social authority of logos.
About the Artist
BW
BW is an artist on Mondoir Studio. Artistic discipline: Screenprint. Based in Liverpool, United Kingdom.
Nationality: British
Visual Provocateur | Stencil & Screenprint
