Empires Divided

'Empires divided'. Acrylic on canvas.

The work is a portrait of the late Queen Elizabeth II as the Mexican Deity of the Santa Muerte, or the Lady of the Dead, a religious figure originating from Mexico. The Santa Muerte is an ambivalent figure, as regular citizens seek her to ask for protection, but at the same time she is worshipped by members of drug cartels and of the criminal underworld. Historically, she symbolises the contrasts between upper and lower social classes.