These images are painted in the ancient technique of encaustic. Known since antiquity,
this technique uses beeswax as its binding medium. Through a careful and laborious
process of purification, the wax acquires greater resistance to heat and to the passage
of time. This specially prepared wax is known as “Punic wax.”
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In hot encaustic, pigments bound with Punic wax are applied to the surface while
the medium is still warm. This makes the paint less yielding and the process more
demanding, yet at the same time it invites a more concise and expressive manner
of painting.
Encaustic can be applied to almost any surface, but it reveals a particular affinity
for textured ones—surfaces with a strong material presence of their own. Here, the
character of the surface is not something to be concealed, but an expressive
potential to be brought into the work. When allowed to speak fully, the surface
becomes a partner to the artist, enriching and deepening the image.
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