ROUGH DIAMOND (Original)
Rough Diamond is a painting that conveys a message of contradiction, transformation and the unexpected places from which beauty can emerge.
At the centre of the composition is a violin - an instrument traditionally associated with refinement, discipline and harmony. Leaning against it are two knuckle dusters, objects synonymous with violence, survival and a world far removed from concert halls and civility. Their placement is deliberate: as if the knuckle dusters themselves are attempting to play the violin, an image that feels at once jarring and strangely coherent.
The tension between these objects reflects a life lived across extremes. The knuckle dusters reference a past shaped by conflict and survival but they also represent raw force - untamed energy that, left without direction, destroys. The violin, by contrast, symbolises what that same force can become when shaped by discipline, patience and purpose. The painting does not deny the past; it integrates it.
The title Rough Diamond speaks to potential rather than polish. A diamond is not created through comfort or ease but through immense pressure over time. In this sense, the work challenges the romanticised notion of reinvention as something clean or gentle. Transformation is often abrasive, forged through struggle and misunderstood by those who have never endured it.
The unlikely pairing of objects also reflects how the artist himself is often perceived - an improbable figure within the art world. Yet this improbability is not something to be smoothed away. Authenticity does not come from trying to be unique, nor from conforming to expectation; it emerges naturally when one refuses to deny their own history.
Rough Diamond is not an apology for where one has come from, nor a plea for acceptance. It is a statement: that harmony does not require the erasure of darkness, only the courage to reshape it. The most honest form of art - and of selfhood - comes not from pretending to be refined but from transforming what was once raw into something meaningful.
Material: Oil on canvas board
- Each piece is made by the artist - for details on provenance, editions, or commissions, please get in touch. Payments are securely handled by bank transfer to protect both artist and collector.
Delivery costs for this piece will vary depending on size, weight, destination, and the level of specialist packaging or handling required. Once you've expressed interest or placed an order, we will provide a tailored delivery quote based on your location and the safest method of transport.
We take great care to ensure that every artwork is securely packaged and arrives in perfect condition. All deliveries are handled either by the artist directly or a trusted logistics partner, ensuring a personal and professional service from studio to doorstep.
If you’d like an estimated delivery cost before purchase, please feel free to get in touch.
