The Three Musketeers: A Reflection on Wealth and Disconnection

Recently, I completed a new large-scale painting titled The Three Musketeers. Measuring 130 x 170 cm, it is one of the larger works I've created and one that carries a stronger social message than many of my previous paintings.

The painting portrays three men dressed in expensive suits. They appear successful, powerful, and wealthy. At first glance they almost resemble modern aristocrats. But beneath that polished appearance lies the real subject of the work: the growing distance between wealth and society.

I wasn't interested in painting wealth itself. I was interested in painting what happens when wealth becomes disconnected from responsibility.

The three figures show no emotion. Their eyes are hidden behind sunglasses, making them difficult to connect with as human beings. To me, this symbolizes a certain arrogance — a refusal to see what is happening around them and a refusal to be seen themselves.

The bright sky-blue background was chosen deliberately. I wanted the figures to stand isolated and unavoidable. There is nowhere else for the viewer to look.

The most direct symbol appears on the forehead of the central figure: a target. Additional target marks can be found in the upper corners of the painting, applied with graffiti-inspired techniques.

These targets represent something that seems increasingly visible throughout society. As the gap between rich and poor continues to widen, frustration grows. People begin looking for someone to blame. Those at the top increasingly become symbols of a system that many feel is no longer working for everyone.

The painting is not a call for violence, nor is it an attack on success or ambition. Instead, it is a reflection on imbalance. It asks what happens when wealth becomes concentrated, when empathy disappears, and when entire groups of people begin to feel left behind.

Like much of my work, I don't aim to provide answers. I prefer asking questions.

Who are these men?

Why are they targets?

And perhaps most importantly: have they become targets because of who they are, or because of what they represent?