Introduction to the Work of Art: The Carnivalesque Melancholy of GreedIn Avaritia facit bardus AZ34, the surreal atmosphere is thick with contradiction. Underneath the soft, golden glow of a chandelier, two figures sit in a strange tableau—clowns in form but deeply human in their quiet despair. To the left, a man with white-and-black face paint, dressed in a baroque jacket, leans in with a mischievous smile. He clutches a toy clown in one hand, a mockery of his own image. To the right, a striking woman with vivid purple and green hair, dressed in a gauzy, pink-tulle dress, sits in contemplative silence, her eyes distant and her lips painted in soft resignation. Around them, dollar bills are scattered like confetti, symbols of wealth that have been trivialized and discarded.The atmosphere is dark and dreamlike, filled with tension between sensuality, indulgence, and emptiness. The vibrant hair colors, the exaggerated makeup, the elaborate costume, all set against a smoky, dimly lit backdrop, create an intense yet melancholic carnival of wealth, excess, and unspoken emotions. This is a world where desires have been fulfilled, but satisfaction remains elusive.“Avaritia facit bardus AZ34” is part of the Avaritia facit bardus collection by internationally acclaimed digital artist AZAD 777781. In this series, AZAD continues to explore the theme of human folly in the face of greed—its ability to distort both identity and connection. Translating from Latin as “Greed makes fools,” this piece offers a vivid portrayal of wealth, beauty, and passion, but it also reveals the tragic consequences of such pursuits when they become obsessions. Exhibition Introduction: The Theater of Desire and DespairStep into a world where wealth and beauty are but illusions draped over the darker truths of human desire. In Avaritia facit bardus AZ34, AZAD 777781 takes us into the heart of a dreamlike performance, where every touch of opulence conceals a deeper melancholy, every smile hides quiet despair.Upon entering the exhibition space, viewers are immediately struck by the vivid, almost cinematic composition of the work. The sharp contrasts between the characters—the whimsical clownish figure and the sensually posed woman—create a visual tension that reflects the emotional discord at play. Though the surface of the scene is steeped in glamour and sensuality, it is clear that there is something missing—an emptiness that lurks beneath the surface. The chandelier’s warm light, rather than creating a sense of luxury, casts a glow that feels shallow, unable to penetrate the deeper shadows of the scene.The woman in the pink dress, her expression distant, evokes both allure and disillusionment. She is a figure of desire, yet her body language—legs drawn close, fingers lightly brushing her lips—suggests hesitation, an unwillingness to fully engage with the world around her. The man beside her, with his exaggerated clown makeup, contrasts sharply with her vulnerability. His smile, though playful, feels strained, as though masking a deeper cynicism. The toy clown in his hand becomes a symbol of self-mockery, an acknowledgment of the absurdity of their world.Dollar bills are scattered across the floor, yet they no longer hold value. They are symbols of excess, symbols that once represented power and success, but now lay discarded like remnants of a forgotten game. The soft, plush toys in the background, often associated with innocence, take on a more sinister tone in this context—becoming part of the farce that is materialism and false joy.In this artwork, AZAD invites the viewer to reflect on the artificiality of wealth and beauty. The characters, adorned in costumes of desire, become trapped in a space that feels both luxurious and suffocating. Though surrounded by symbols of success—money, beauty, comfort—there is an overwhelming sense that something is missing, something beyond the material that neither character can grasp. Art Critique: The Technique, Influence, and Meaning of the WorkAZAD’s Avaritia facit bardus AZ34 represents a masterful fusion of digital and traditional artistry, creating a composition that feels as much like a dream as it does a piece of fine art. The rich textures in the characters’ clothing, the soft, wispy atmosphere, and the intricate lighting effects lend the piece a cinematic quality, drawing viewers into the emotional depth of the scene. AZAD’s use of digital manipulation allows him to create a work that feels hyper-realistic in its detail yet surreal in its composition, where every element seems both familiar and fantastical.In terms of influence, Avaritia facit bardus AZ34 draws from the great illustrators and surrealists of the 20th century, particularly those who explored themes of identity, beauty, and the grotesque. Artists like George Grosz and Otto Dix, whose works often critiqued the material excess and moral decay of Weimar Germany, seem to be strong influences in AZAD’s use of caricature and exaggerated figures. Like Grosz and Dix, AZAD uses distortion not simply to create absurdity, but to reveal the deeper emotional and societal truths underlying the human condition.However, there are also elements of pop surrealism in AZAD’s work, particularly in his use of vibrant color and the juxtaposition of whimsical, childlike elements (such as the plush toys) with darker, more mature themes. This recalls the work of contemporary surrealists like Mark Ryden, whose paintings often feature a similar tension between innocence and corruption. The neon hues and artificial glow of the characters’ hair and clothing seem to mock the very idea of wealth and beauty, turning them into farcical props in a larger, more tragic narrative.AZAD’s attention to light and shadow in this piece is particularly striking. The soft glow of the chandelier, though outwardly luxurious, casts deep shadows that distort and isolate the figures, emphasizing the distance between them. The woman, though physically present, seems emotionally and mentally elsewhere, while the man’s exaggerated makeup and forced smile make him feel like a character in a performance—an actor trapped in his own farce. The interplay of light and darkness in the scene adds to the sense of surrealism and melancholy, as though the entire world has been cast in a false, artificial glow.The money scattered across the floor is rendered with meticulous detail, yet it feels weightless, symbolic of its loss of real value in the lives of these characters. Though surrounded by wealth, there is no sense that either figure takes any pleasure in it. Instead, the money becomes a metaphor for the emptiness of their lives, for the way in which material excess can mask deeper emotional and spiritual voids. Artistic Critic Presentation: The Vision of AZAD 777781AZAD 777781 is a digital artist who defies easy categorization. His work is an exploration of human fears, obsessions, and desires, with a focus on the darker, more grotesque aspects of the human experience. Through his exaggerated figures and surreal compositions, AZAD forces viewers to confront their own emotions and anxieties, to question the world around them and the systems that define their lives.At the core of AZAD’s work is a deep empathy for the human condition. His characters, though often distorted and exaggerated, are deeply human in their emotions and struggles. They represent the aspects of ourselves that we often try to hide—the parts that are driven by greed, lust, fear, and insecurity. In Avaritia facit bardus AZ34, AZAD’s characters become symbols of the way in which society’s obsession with wealth and beauty distorts our identities, turning us into performers in a larger, meaningless play.AZAD’s use of digital techniques allows him to create works that are both visually stunning and conceptually rich. His ability to manipulate light, color, and texture gives his pieces a sense of depth and immersion that draws viewers into his surreal worlds. Yet beneath the surface of these dreamlike compositions, there is always a deeper message—one that speaks to the universal human experience, to the ways in which we are all shaped by the forces of desire, fear, and the search for meaning.AZAD’s international success can be attributed to the universality of his themes. Though his works are often grounded in contemporary issues such as consumerism and materialism, they speak to timeless aspects of the human condition. His characters are not just products of the modern world, but symbols of the ways in which humanity has always struggled with the tension between desire and fulfillment, between appearance and reality. Artistic Critic Presentation: Poetic Themes and Philosophy in Avaritia facit bardus AZ34At its heart, Avaritia facit bardus AZ34 is a meditation on the illusions of wealth, beauty, and passion, and the ways in which they can both seduce and destroy. The characters in this piece—though adorned in symbols of success—are trapped in a world that feels both sensual and suffocating, a world where everything has been reduced to performance.The woman in the pink dress represents the allure of beauty, yet her distant expression suggests that she has long since realized the emptiness of such allure. Though surrounded by wealth and sensuality, she seems disconnected from both the material and emotional world around her. Her body language—posed, yet withdrawn—creates a tension between desire and disengagement, as though she is aware of the superficiality of her role but remains trapped in it.The man beside her, dressed in clownish makeup and exaggerated attire, becomes a parody of wealth and power. His smile is not one of joy, but one of forced performance, as though he is fully aware of the absurdity of his position yet continues to play the part. The toy clown in his hand serves as a metaphor for his own identity—a caricature of a caricature, a figure who has become so consumed by his role that he can no longer separate himself from it.The money scattered across the floor, like the soft toys and costumes, becomes part of the farce. It is no longer a symbol of power or success, but of something that has been trivialized and discarded. The characters, though surrounded by wealth, are deeply unhappy, trapped in a world where appearance has taken precedence over reality, and where the pursuit of material success has left them emotionally and spiritually bankrupt.Through this work, AZAD invites viewers to reflect on their own relationship with wealth, beauty, and desire. The characters in Avaritia facit bardus AZ34 are not just representations of greed and excess, but of the ways in which we all become trapped in roles that do not truly fulfill us. The clownish man and the disengaged woman are symbols of the human condition, of the ways in which we perform for society while hiding our true selves behind masks of success and beauty. Conclusion: Art as a Reflection of Human Desire and DisillusionmentIn Avaritia facit bardus AZ34, AZAD 777781 has created a work that is both visually stunning and philosophically rich. The characters, though adorned in wealth and beauty, are deeply human in their disillusionment, their painted smiles and distant expressions revealing the emotional emptiness that often accompanies the pursuit of material success. Through his masterful use of color, light, and texture, AZAD has created a world that feels both fantastical and tragically real.This work is not just a critique of greed and materialism; it is a reflection on the deeper human desire for meaning, connection, and fulfillment. The characters’ disengagement from the wealth that surrounds them serves as a reminder that no amount of money or beauty can truly satisfy the deeper needs of the soul. AZAD’s ability to express these complex themes through his unique visual language is what makes him one of the most compelling artists of our time.Through Avaritia facit bardus AZ34, AZAD challenges us to look beyond the surface of our own lives, to question the values and desires that drive us, and to recognize the ways in which we are all performers in the theater of society, often trapped in roles that leave us longing for something more.
