Brothers of the Forest
What would human relationships look like when set free from religion and repressive societal structures? What would they look like if society was not there to prescribe what is or is not the correct template to follow?
Brothers of the Forest is a triptych series that explores our hard-wired human emotions and how they shape our human relationships with one another. In the paintings, the figures symbolize our emotions and their coexistence—like a brotherhood.
My intention is to invite viewers to examine what they think they know about human relationship templates and what’s actually out there—theory vs practice. Brothers of the Forest was created for Photonic Playground’s first LGBTQ themed show and OC Pride 2019.
Concept, Illustration | Edmund Liang
Exhibition | Photonic Playground
The Full Triptych
I am ecstatic that there was so much documentation on the making-of. It's a rare glimpse into the creative process! With that said, you must to watch the “Making Share Your Gifts” video below. The extraordinary detail and effort that went into bringing this world to life is absolutely jaw-dropping.
The Full Triptych Left to Right: Ambivalence, Compersion, & Empathy
Portrait of Ambivalence
The Portrait of Ambivalence
Depiction of Happiness & Sadness. Happiness crouches while admiring an iceland poppy and Sadness slumps under an eternal rain of dead leaves.
We humans do not experience emotions in their 100% pure form. Similar to the color wheel, our emotions are complex blends of differing emotions of varying intensities—resulting in the millions of combinations we experience everyday.
As we mature, we grow more accepting of our reality where nothing is purely 100% positive or negative. It is simply part of being human.
Portrait of Compersion
The Portrait of Compersion
Group portrait depicting a variation of human relationships when set free from religion and repressive societal structures. The figures display the lesser known but commonly felt emotion: compersion; the feeling of joy associated with seeing a loved one love another.
In the realm of human relationships, this soothing emotion becomes available when one lets go their feelings of ownership over their partner(s).
Portrait of Empathy
The Portrait of Empathy
Empathy, being the most powerful amongst his peers, bears a headdress embedded with 27 orbs; each representing one of the 27 classified human emotions. The disc at the center is his third-eye, granting him perception beyond plain sight.
He is the only one with the ability to imagine himself in situations of others and experience the world through their eyes. Born with a mature prefrontal cortex, Empathy was able to more easily understand others from an early age.
Empathy is the very glue of society. And it is he who keeps our humanity alive.