Ben Onuorah Paintings

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The Emperor, the Scarlet and the Cross

4 April 2026 by Ben

Detail

Title: The Emperor, the Scarlet and the Cross
Medium: Acrylic on canvas
Size: 52 by 41 Inches
Year: 2026
Artist: Ben Onuorah

The Emperor, the Scarlet and the Cross is a visual meditation on power, morality, and the burden of human choice. The emperor stands as a symbol of authority; earthly dominion shaped by ambition, control, and the illusion of permanence. Yet, power is never isolated; it is always dressed, justified, and judged.

The scarlet emerges as a force both seductive and accusatory. It embodies passion, sacrifice, guilt, and the stain of actions that cannot be undone. It is the color of both royalty and transgression; suggesting that power often carries a hidden cost, one that lingers beyond the moment of triumph.

At the center or perhaps above all stands the cross. It is a symbol that transcends time, representing sacrifice, redemption, and the possibility of moral reckoning. In contrast to the emperor’s authority, the cross introduces a higher order; one that questions, judges, and ultimately offers a path toward transformation.

Together, these elements form a tension:
between power and responsibility,
between desire and consequence,
between judgment and redemption.
This work invites the viewer to reflect:
What defines true authority?
Is power justified by its outcomes, or measured by its conscience?

And in the end, what remains; the crown, the stain, or the cross?
Series: Soul Searcher