Hookah Smoking Caterpillar

When I painted him, I imagined a being full of contradictions: glassy-eyed and endlessly stoned, yet convinced he’s the voice of reason. He speaks in spirals, his smoke forming symbols and illusions, his words soaked in mystery — not because they hold deep truth, but because he believes they do. That confidence, that unwavering ego, is what makes him powerful in this world.

To me, he’s a pillar of psychedelic wisdom — not always right, but always sure. And in Wonderland, that can be more dangerous than ignorance.

There’s a calmness to him, but it's deceptive. He doesn’t guide Alice so much as confuse her. He asks the wrong questions at the right moment, nudging her further into a world where nothing — not even wisdom — can be trusted.

This painting invites you to stare back at him and wonder: is he enlightened, or just high?