The Black Circle

Inspired by the Norwegian Black Metal church burnings of the 1990s, this hand-embroidered work captures the moment a church is first consumed by fire.
 
Many of Norway's historic churches were built on sites with older pagan associations, and the church burnings became one of the most notorious and controversial acts linked to the early Black Metal scene. Rather than depicting the aftermath, this piece focuses on the beginning of the destruction: the brief moment when a familiar structure starts to transform into something fragile and temporary.
 
Created using hand stitching, appliqué, paint and paper, the work explores recurring themes of loss, impermanence and the uneasy beauty of decay. The slow, deliberate process of embroidery contrasts with the sudden violence of fire, preserving in thread a moment of irreversible change.
 
17" x 17" (44cm x 44cm)
 
The embroidery is fully backed and ready to hang.
 
Free international postage.