This piece symbolises much of my journey as an artist... artifice: noun. clever or cunning devices or expedients, especially as used to trick or deceive others. synonyms: trickery, deviousness, deception, cunning, artfulness, craft, craftiness, subterfuge, pretense. ... Ultimately from the roots "art" and "to make".

As a child, in school, my favourite subjects were science, programming and math. Being creative came later, but I always felt like I was cheating somehow... 'Took a long time to call myself an artist. Typical impostor syndrome. I still feel this to some extent. Also, using fractals, it is difficult to connect to people with my art. Emotional elements are rare and on purpose: My quest is to create art inspired by science. The emotion I may see in my work is hard to see by others because it is very hard to get. Not because it is too difficult to understand but because few people see science as an emotional, beautiful thing.

The image represents all this, with the first specifically deliberate human element I've ever used, itself being shiny-metallic on the outside yet seemingly organic (but still, in fact, bio-synthetic) on the inside. Indeed, art is deception; trickery. The ultimate deception of the senses, but for noble purpose: to move, inspire, teach and connect us. Lastly, the title is a corny play on words, which I so love as a language lover and teacher.