JOSHUA EFFIONG

Self portrait as vow

“Self-portrait as vow” is an artistic representation of commitment caught in the web of beautiful chaos. You’d see a knot which holds the weight of a covenant. The combination of ribbon-like interceptions sprouting from various angles cuts through the subject of compromise. The goal is to catch the beauty in this strangeness. It’s a complicated adventure, but I feel when this quest is hosteled with digital brush and paint it is always a worthy experience. I still remember the evening I created this art with my picsart app on my device. It stretched into the night and I just wasn’t satisfied until it portrayed my thought. While this seeks to interpret the multifaceted nature of a vow, it also offers clarity to our inner struggles to hold onto the promises we’ve made.

Digital illustration, 2021

Joshua Effiong is writer and artist from the Örö people of Nigeria studying Science Laboratory Technology at University of Calabar. His works has appeared/forthcoming in Shallow Tales Review, Rough Cut Press, Madrigal Press, Titled House, Augment Review, Selcouth Station Press, Rising Phoenix Review, Acropolis Journal, etc. Author of a poetry chapbook Autopsy of Things Left Unnamed. Find him on Instagram @josh.effiong and Twitter @JoshEffiong.