This acrylic painting on canvas is a vibrant, abstract portrait inspired by Mayan culture, rendered in a cubist-symbolic style. The composition symbolizes elements of Mayan Warrior iconography—such as stylized faces from ancient masks, geometric patterns reminiscent of stepped pyramids, and vibrant colors evoking ritualistic art—while incorporating modern fragmentation and bold contrasts. The overall mood is dynamic, mysterious, and culturally reverent, blending ancient symbolism with expressive abstraction.
The eye meets a frontal mask-like visage built from thick black contours and saturated planes of red, green, blue, yellow, orange, and violet. Graham layers acrylic in opaque, matte fields that flatten light and intensify the graphic edge of each shape, while small white dots punctuate the surface like ritual markings. The composition is tightly cropped and symmetrically charged, with the face emerging from a surrounding field of angular fragments and curved bands that activate the whole canvas. The work enters into conversation with Cubism, modern symbolic portraiture, and the visual logic of Mesoamerican mask and stone-carving traditions.
SGT Ben Graham, based in 1731 Fontana Lane, creates original artwork available to collect on Art Emerge, an AI-powered marketplace for artists and collectors.
Key Facts
Location: 1731 Fontana Lane
I am a Wounded Veteran, 46 with a Purple Heart and Bronze Star with Valor among many other awards and decorations. I've seven tours to Iraq and Afghanistan, until I was shot and received 2 Brain Injuries from Roadside bombs in an attack. I went to school for Art and its my Passion. This was before and finished some when I was deployed online, which was not easy when it comes to art. I am Married to my Lovely Wife Lori and my 12 year old Ninja and Smart Daughter. We are definitely a Tripod.
Artist Statement
Artist Statement My name is SGT Ben Graham, and every piece you see here is more than just art — it is a living thank-you and a way for me to give back. As a wounded veteran, I create because it keeps me moving, focused, and connected when my disabilities try to hold me back. The true price of my work is not for profit. What you pay is a donation. That donation first covers the cost of the supplies I need to keep creating.
