Bethlehem

Journey to Bethlehem

This painting represents the culmination of my long-standing obsession with Bethlehem Steel, the now-shuttered steel mill in Pennsylvania. Once a towering emblem of American industry, its decaying structures stirred something deep in me—a fascination with power, decline, and resilience. Part of the inspiration also came from a trip I took to the Calumet River region of Chicago, where the industrial landscape added its own layers of grit and history to my vision.

The original concept for this piece came to me in 2020. I had a clear vision of what I wanted to create, but I didn’t yet have the technical skill to fully execute it. Still, that didn’t stop me from trying. Over and over, I returned to the canvas—layer after layer—reworking, reimagining, and rebuilding the piece from the ground up.

In many ways, the journey of making this painting became just as meaningful as the final result. Through the process, I challenged myself, grew as an artist, and learned more than I ever expected.

This piece stands as a personal landmark—not only of my fascination with American industrial history but of the perseverance and transformation that art demands.