Gloria

Gloria, part of the 𝘊𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘴 triptych, is a large-scale oil painting that explores the resilience of Venezuelans through a symbolic narrative about their struggle for freedom amidst political and social turmoil.

Set beneath a highway overpass in Caracas during the 2017 protests, the painting portrays a mythical battle between civilians and the oppressive forces of the government. Armed soldiers, massive crocodiles, and a monstrous, otherworldly creature symbolize the brutality of the regime, while the civilians—represented by a child, a woman, and a man—stand their ground in defense of a wounded white horse, a powerful symbol of liberation in Venezuelan culture. The child wields a sword in defiance, the woman tends to the injured horse while shielding the boy, and the man, holding a cardboard shield marked with the cross of SaintGeorge, faces the advancing threat with determination. Their actions represent the defining aspects of the resistance: care, unity, bravery and selflessness.