Aya Bouaben

Story Of An Artist

In a dark empty room, Hephaestus sculpted his last work , the deformed shape of his alter ego, that he called
Human.

Long ago was an artist called Hephaestus who spread his art throughout the lands, made beauty from nothingness and enchanted the eyes with visions he created.

For ages, Hephaestus had an invincible power for it was said he defeated the most talented. Others feared him, envied him and defied him but no one could detest his art; it was pure masterpiece. In his time, artistry flourished and echoed in every soul the desire for beauty.

Although his attainments, Hephaestus felt a void and hollowed was his existence. He longed for salvation, something he could truly call his own. He sculpted animals and Artemis was bewitched, he sculpted skies and Zeus was bewildered, he sculpted flora and Chloris was in awe. Yet our artist still was not pleased.

He distanced himself and in isolation found what he believed to be his greatest achievement. It was a creature of four limbs, of a mind so beautiful yet as equally complex and of five senses allowing him to seek out the world Hephaestus created for him.

A creature Da Vinci later on described by saying:

“The other members, too, have their own symmetrical proportions, and it was by employing them that the famous painters and sculptors of antiquity attained to great and endless renown. Similarly, in the members of a temple there ought to be the greatest harmony in the symmetrical relations of the different parts to the general magnitude of the whole.”

As his creation drew his first breath, Hephaestus felt an ecstasy never before had he experienced. Alas, his joy did not last as his own hand had deceived him. The beast went on a rampage, a riot against the hand that made him, cussing and cursing it for the hideous and repulsive claim of art it made and soon began his ravage in the world.

As for gods, they damned and punished Hephaestus for his disfigured sin. They denied him his credit of an artist as they chained his arms and he swore to never again touch clay.

This monster pushed Hephaestus to his downfall and cursed became artists eternally.

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