Who will rule the world? Who may sit on the throne? And for how long? Is it a lost cause anyway, considering our planet's dwindling resources (depicted by: donut and hourglass)?

Playing with these thoughts, Jan created this extraordinary still life that reads like a story of how history keeps repeating itself, especially in the context of imperialism (The Scramble for Africa globe and panda bear within matryoshka), conflict (WWII US Sherman tank, semiconductor/chip wars) and even socially disruptive situations (test swab and rambutan).

By the way, that can on top of Captain America, is a 1996 limited edition Coca-Cola® can from China and it’s tumbling over symbolises the economic contestation between superpowers and the - not always pleasant, sometimes backlashing - side-effects of globalisation and free market integration.

Dimensions: 40 x 53 cm

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Year: 2023

sold