The Masked One
He wore a dark-blue mantle and called himself Grimnir, but said no more about himself, though he was questioned.
– Grimnismol, Prose Introduction, Bellows Translation
The concept of masks, and a god of masks has always been fascinating to me. One of Odin’s many names is Grimnir, meaning the hooded or masked one. It is clear in the lore that Odin is a shapeshifter, a man of many faces, and I wanted to draw on that for this painting.
But the painting is more than just a faithful interpretation of Grimnir. We all wear masks, and I wanted to explore my own understanding and experiences with curating the face we show others at any given moment as well as the idea that there are some faces we keep hidden deep away. I think this is a concept we all can relate to, and in that way we are all Grimnir, we are all the masked one!
The Masked One
by Sam Flegal
We are all the Masked One,
selecting the faces we show to the world,
and which ones we hide.
With lock and key,
we are both the answer and the problem.
What is truth?
The Masked One knows…
The original painting was done in oil and measures 24″ x 31″.
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