Hillel Roman makes monumental charcoal drawings, returning to the primal material with which humanity first created art and to the elemental drives that fueled it. With charcoal born from fire, he illustrates the consequences of the flame that blazes within people. 

The drawings originate in stories of warriors who confronted war in different ways. “Burn the ships!” is a phrase attributed to Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés, who sought to convey to his soldiers that there was no turning back: either advancement or death. An illuminated “Welcome Home” sign, positioned in a train station during World War I, greeted returning soldiers. The sign appeared in a documentary chronicling the life of Chief Buffalo Child Long Lance, whose memoir became a bestseller and later a film, only to reveal that he was an impostor with no tribal heritage, who constructed a new narrative for himself, living in perpetual falsehood and complete estrangement from his family and origins.  

The unofficial unit patch, combining a Star of David and a skull, emerged on Israeli soldiers’ uniforms in recent years, and is now available in military supply stores. The skull stands for “The Punisher” from Marvel Comics—a Marine turned vigilante after the murder of his family, who, disillusioned by the system, embarks on a merciless vendetta. The Punisher embodies uncompromising justice, where vengeance obliterates any possibility of returning to his former life. 

The irreversible decisions and paths that leave no room for retreat are juxtaposed with the possibility of grace, even after crossing what seems a point of no return, in a sculpture on which the hymn “Amazing Grace” may be played through collective effort. Its composer, John Newton, a slave ship captain who became a priest and human rights advocate, expresses remorse, compassion, and hope. In an age celebrating decisive action, he proposes to pause and reconsider our relationship with the past, so we may move ahead towards the future. 

Utopian cities, printed in silver on black paper, are part of a series of images created in an extended dialogue with AI, originally featured as fluorescent projections in complete darkness in this very space about a year ago. Since their debut, both reality and our yearning for utopia have transformed, and the nocturnal, somber cities have been tinged by the human consciousness enveloping them. In a dystopian reality, these cities shimmer in darkness more remotely than ever. Perhaps the amazing grace will descend upon us and guide us there. Perhaps we, too, will learn to release the burden of past choices, and finally find our true way home.