The sight of fire sparks a thousand thoughts, a thousand stories. For every man that ever was, and ever will be, this primordial element, in all its forms, paradoxically represents both the destruction and birth of life. One can only hope they are on the right side when they encounter a burning flame. For his second solo show, Mac Eparwa further tinkers with his proclivity towards worldbuilding as he further plays with fire and its double-edged nature.

In Dance Now in the Flames, the artist showcases fifteen vignettes of his ongoing narrative of beasts and critters sheathed in elaborately ornamented armor. To him, these characters were born out of an affinity for films and video games many of his peers share. Playful, dynamic, and vibrant, Eparwa tickles the imagination with these wittingly illustrated characters. Each work tells a story of its own, weaving together themes of strength, camaraderie, and the enduring struggle between chaos and order for a purpose unbeknownst to his viewers, and admittedly, even to the artist himself.

An echo of a bygone era, the setting in which the characters play out is as arresting as those in epic fantasy adventure films. Eparwa’s landscape is breathtaking and tranquil, a direct contrast to the fiery battle taking place. As the war unfurls, what shall become of these verdant valleys? Fire poses a threat to them.

Mac Eparwa’s continuous use of fire as a parallel image to represent attitudes that arise within a group through his torch-bearing, fire-spewing nuggety characters becomes ever more poignant. Fire embodies passion, courage, will, and life. Drawing inspiration from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar, Eparwa illustrates how a group with “fire enough”—reasons powerful enough—carries within them a spirit of relentless resolve until their cause has been achieved.

At the end of it all, Dance Now in the Flames entails weighing the costs of war. Each flicker of light casts shadows that remind us of the sacrifices made and the toll taken by conflict. This series is a materialization of the artist’s contemplation, not only the beauty of the spectacle but also the truths it symbolizes—fire consumes and transforms. It is a mirror to the complexities of the human experience, where every triumph is tinged with the knowledge of potential loss.

– J. Jose