Election by Avinda Tishan

An original painting by Avinda Tishan

Avinda Tishan’s Election is a raw, visually arresting statement on the circus of modern democracy. At first glance, it feels like a street carnival gone grotesquely wrong, where politicians don clownish masks and perform an absurd, ritualistic prayer before a blood-streaked ballot box. Tishan’s brushstrokes are chaotic and intentional, reflecting a society unraveling behind the veil of order. The background, with its decaying urban sprawl, is bleak and ominous, underscoring the disconnect between these hollow figures and the world they supposedly govern. 

There’s an almost absurd theater here, but it’s a theater where the stakes are brutal—notice the boy carrying water on the side, a stark contrast to the farce happening center stage. It’s this juxtaposition that screams loudest: the real struggle of the powerless, who are merely props in this macabre performance of power. The bold reds suggest bloodshed, sacrifice, and the weight of corruption. Tishan is not just documenting a moment; he’s laying bare the farcical and often sinister reality of elections. The masks are a simple yet devastating metaphor—these aren’t real people, but puppets of a broken system. This painting asks the viewer: Who benefits from this performance? And what does it cost?