"Smoking Darkness"

I wanted to let my darkness out. After painting, I realized that I had a bunch of unexpressed emotions. When I showed people everyone said that portrait had the effect of being alive.
Usually, we are scared of receiving reality. It's kinda scary when we see our dark side too, but it doesn't mean that we should take it off or run away from it.
The painting "Smoking Darkness" is from my solo exhibition, which I'm recently working on. There will be 12 self-portraits from my life stages and that's one of them. Every portrait has its own story and technical difference on canvas.
concept of an exhibition is the definition of the metaphysical existence of human beings. We live in two worlds. In an inner out of world. The last one is where we touch, feel, taste, smell, and experience things. Inner is the world of creativity and possibilities. Our thoughts are materializing, they just need time. Where we live, what technology we use, and what clothes we wear, come from someone's mind. The inner world is called in Latin and Asian 'Darkness' & 'Kala'. You're not suddenly leaving life as you know it behind in favor of more negative thoughts, behaviors, and social circles. When you embrace your dark side, you're acknowledging that the unpleasant parts of yourself exist.
This specific self-portrait was made when Russia attacked Ukraine and started the war. I'm from Sakartvelo (Georgia) and I know how it feels. It already happened here in 2008. That's why I painted details (Georgian and Ukrainian) flags on a war machine.

Check details here from portfolio - https://www.behance.net/gallery/159265241/Smoking-Darkness