The Weight Of Dogma

The Weight Of Dogma

30 × 40 cm (12" × 16")

This painting portrays a man and a woman moving along the same path. The man walks upright, eating an apple, holding a book. Behind him, the woman follows—but she is crawling, exhausted, barely able to move. Her book is heavier and she is pregnant, carrying not only her own weight, but the burden of what is passed down. At her feet lies a massive apple, a dead weight that slows her even further. And near the man, a pen. He wrote the book.

This piece is a socially and religiously engaged satire. It explores the weight of dogma, how systems shaped by religion and culture can become invisible burdens, disproportionately carried by women across generations. What appears as weakness is, in reality, the consequence of inherited constraints, imposed narratives, and structural imbalance.

The apple itself echoes the symbol of Eve's original sin, long used to place blame on women. Yet here, the narrative is reversed: it is Adam who carries the apple, lodged in his throat, suggesting that the origin of this burden, and the story that shaped it may not be where we have been taught to look.

Through a feminist lens, the work questions who defines the rules, who benefits from them, and who is left to endure their consequences.

Material and FormThe palette is intentionally restrained: soft and layered nuances of grey create a muted, timeless atmosphere. Red appears as the color of temptation, echoing the symbolic apple. Black embodies austerity and rigidity. Subtle bronze reliefs add depth and texture, while a delicate golden tear—my signature—captures both suffering and quiet resilience.

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