The Four Horsemen

四骑士




2026
Acrylic on canvas
20 × 16 inch

The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse originate from the Book of Revelation and represent Conquest, War, Famine, and Death. They symbolize cycles of violence and collapse throughout human history.

This work places the Four Horsemen in a modern setting. Dressed in suits, they resemble figures of power in contemporary society. Conquest’s bow is replaced with a cigarette, symbolizing control through consumption and desire. The brooches pinned to their suits—a bow, sword, scale, and lamb’s head—identify each rider while suggesting how violence and suffering are often hidden beneath polished appearances.

Their hands, stained with blood and raised near their mouths, suggest the normalization of violence. In the foreground, a pair of blood-covered hands faces the Horsemen yet continues to participate in harm. The work explores how, in a society that appears civilized and rational, apocalypse arrives slowly through moral compromise and the acceptance of violence.

“天启四骑士”出自《新约·启示录》，分别象征征服、战争、饥荒与死亡，代表人类历史中不断重复的暴力、崩塌与毁灭。

现代社会之中的四骑士，身穿西装，神情冷静。征服骑士手中的弓被替换成香烟。胸前的弓、宝剑、天平与羊羔头颅胸针既代表身份，也暗示暴力与灾难常被包装成合理、体面甚至正常的存在。

骑士们的手停留在嘴边，沾满鲜血。前景中的一双血手显然已经看见四骑士，却依然无法停止伤害。在看似文明、理性的现代社会中，天启并非突然降临，而是在一次次突破道德底线与默认暴力的过程中缓慢形成。