Hunger
Hunger is a visceral and uncompromising sculpture that confronts one of humanity’s most devastating realities, hunger as a man-made weapon, fueled by greed, unchecked consumption, and the pursuit of power. Carved in jadeite jade and red jasper, and anchored on a wooden base, the work emerges directly from the artist’s mind to the stone through a process of free, intuitive carving, without preliminary drawings or models.
At the base, flames take the shape of an eagle’s talons, gripping a barrel of oil that rises from a lake of blood. From these flames, the eagle itself is formed, its beak spewing fire, a symbol of destruction born from ambition and exploitation. The fire scorches the hand of a small child, no more than two or three years old, who clings desperately to a piece of bread. This fragile fragment becomes a potent symbol of resistance, dignity, and the fundamental right to exist.
Within the eagle’s chest lies the face of another child, marked by severe malnutrition. The child’s gaze turns away from the bread, reflecting a haunting truth: a humanity that looks elsewhere, choosing indifference over responsibility, even as suffering unfolds in plain sight.
Artist: BRAYNER ENRIQUE BRENES JIMÉNEZ
