VANTA - Numen

“Numen” (2026)
Oil on canvas
130 x 180 cm

Four human figures stand with their backs turned, revealed through careful paint removal from a deep blue oil foundation. VANTA has worked with a single shade of blue, creating all variation through the amount of pigment removed - building up lighter tones in the figures while preserving darker passages for shadows and depth. The quartet exists in a shared blue void, their rear-facing orientation creating an atmosphere of contemplation or collective witnessing of something beyond the frame.

The horizontal format suits this arrangement of multiple figures, giving them space to stand as individuals while reading as a unified group. Represented by S-Gallery and available on Catawiki, the piece demonstrates how back-facing figures can carry as much psychological weight as faces - perhaps more, since the viewer must project emotion and intention onto forms that withhold direct engagement.

Each figure maintains its own posture and character despite the narrow tonal range and shared orientation. The removal work shows remarkable subtlety in suggesting anatomy, and gesture purely through variations in blue created by strategic paint removal. They stand together in darkness, unified in their attention to something unseen.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

Shipping:
The work is delivered without a frame (professional packaging, rolled in a tube). it can easily be restretched by a professional or on your own, this is also cheaper then the otherwise increased cost of shipping when sending paintings of this size stretched

The measurements indicated are those of the painting stretched and mounted on a frame (The actual
measurements of the canvas are larger to allow it to be mounted on a frame 2-4cm thick.