From the Artist
When I painted this in 2007, it was a turning point for me in art and personal acceptance. The painting’s intention was to hold a mirror up to the misconception of the male gender and masculinity. Now, we have all learned and grown so much with gender identity that my original artist statement did not have the scope it should have, but this piece reminds me that all good things start with a small seed.
More About The Art
Prometheus Unbound, written by Percy Bysshe Shelley and published in 1820, is a lyrical drama and one of the most significant works of Romantic literature. The play is a reinterpretation of the Greek myth of Prometheus, the Titan who defied Zeus by giving fire and knowledge to humanity, for which he was punished by being bound to a rock, where an eagle consumed his liver each day. In Shelley’s version, Prometheus becomes a symbol of human striving, resilience, and the relentless quest for freedom against tyranny and oppression.
The play begins with Prometheus still bound to a mountain in the Caucasus, suffering under Zeus’s cruelty. However, unlike the traditional myth, Prometheus Unbound envisions his liberation through the power of compassion and self-knowledge. In an act of profound forgiveness, Prometheus renounces his hatred for Zeus, a gesture that ultimately leads to his release and Zeus’s downfall. Shelley’s Zeus represents not just a tyrant but the forces of ignorance, dogma, and repression, which hold humanity back. In contrast, Prometheus stands for enlightenment, imagination, and the potential for human evolution beyond constraints.
Structurally, Prometheus Unbound is a lyrical drama, rich with poetic language and dense imagery, exploring themes of freedom, love, and the redemptive power of forgiveness. The play’s language is celebrated for its beauty and complexity, as Shelley draws on classical mythology while infusing it with Romantic ideals of idealism and individual empowerment. The work concludes with the transformation of the world into a place of harmony, beauty, and justice, liberated from authoritarian rule and suffering.
About Michael Bielaczyc
Michael Bielaczyc has been working professionally in the art field since 2001 when he founded Aradani Studios with his brother Paul. Together they have exhibited across America selling both their artwork and costuming. He works in many mediums from oil paint to latex prosthetics, video to graphite.
In 2012, Michael started Lone Wanderer Entertainment with his long time friend Dane Clark Collins to publish books based in their dark fantasy world – Atheles. Since then he has authored 4 books and created the SagaBorn RPG system.
