Reflection on Democracy

This painting was inspired by my ongoing thoughts about human nature, power, and the ideals we strive for as societies. As I worked through its layers of colour and contrast, I found myself returning to the ancient voices of Socrates and Plato, whose ideas about justice and governance still echo powerfully today.

I have often reflected on how Socrates’ skepticism about democracy profoundly influenced Plato’s vision of an ideal society. Living under the Athenian democracy that ultimately condemned him to death, Socrates questioned the wisdom of entrusting power to those lacking knowledge, discipline, and moral understanding. Plato, deeply moved by his teacher’s fate, developed these concerns in The Republic, where he imagined a just society governed not by the whims of the majority, but by philosopher-kings—leaders guided by wisdom, reason, and truth.

Yet, despite the flaws inherent in modern democracy and the growing divisions brought about by today’s identity politics, I still believe that democracy, imperfect as it may be, remains humanity’s best expression of freedom and collective responsibility. For all its shortcomings, the worst form of democracy is still far better than the best form of dictatorship, because within it lies the enduring hope of renewal, justice, and the human capacity to learn from our own imperfections.

In a way, this painting is my visual meditation on that tension, between wisdom and power, freedom and order, idealism and reality. It reminds me that even in chaos and contradiction, there is beauty, meaning, and the timeless search for balance.