In his most recent work, Howells continues to explore use of patterns and tiles in combination with symbolic and allegorical drawings to discover meaning in the ephermal.
“White Lily” is a contemplation on the endless cycles of human conflict that constantly reshape our world. The figures prepare for hand-to-hand combat against a pattern of white lilies, a symbolic reference to death and rebirth. The materials used are intended to subvert viewers’ expectations of media and what makes fine art. The tiled pattern is composed of war battle maps and I use recycled cardboard as a rejection of the expectation that art itself should be permanent and exempt from the cycles of change.
