Immortality
Description
Despite the name, the piece Immortality, by Chelina of Turacha, appears to depict the stages of life, from youth to death. It is a very fine sculpture, made from a pale chalky stone, where dark amethysts have grown, jutting out of all edges and corners. These have not been removed from the artwork, but rather left intact – apparently to symbolize the earth’s ability to take over anything. The sculpture is fairly large, standing at four feet in height, with a round, flat base. On it sits the single figure of a lemur LC. No mutations or coloration is attributed to it, so that one cannot tell which species it is. The lemur’s face appears quite youthful and bright, but as his body continues it loses musculature, becoming decrepit. His tail has no hair, and appears bony, rotting. As if it had already died.
The lemur is posed “chasing its tail” with his mouth open toward it, his body curled in a tight circle. His teeth do not quite grasp the withered remains of tail, but the tail itself is looped, hanging, as if it were already in his jaws. His eyes are closed, as youth is blind to the crippling effects of age.
History
Immortality was made after Chelina’s brother passed away. She is well known to have succumbed to deep depression at the loss of her beloved sibling, and removed herself from the art community for many long years. Chelina became a hermit for this period, locking herself away from the public and sending serving maids out to acquire food and necessities. She was not seen in public for nearly a decade. It was during this time that the slab of rough rock was purchased and moved discretely to her home in Turra. How long she worked on Immortality is unknown, and she has divulged little information about it and her artistic process.
Immortality was given to the public shortly after Chelina came out of hiding. It was donated to Turacha’s national art museum in dedication to Chelina’s brother. It has since been remade several times, into smaller ornaments and sculptures which are sold in souvenir shops throughout the province. It is a well-known, if somewhat mysterious, piece of work.
Reception
As it depicts death and uses the popular mediums of the natural world, Chelina’s Immortality is considered the epitome of Turachian fine art. It is renowned by many critics as a beautiful example of the culture, and, in particular, Chelina’s solemn style. Its depiction of aging makes it quite unpopular outside the province, as it is considered a depressing and morbid montage.