Dreaming of Death

The artwork is divided into three sections, each with its own unique mood.

The first section is rendered in monochrome - depicting a woman opening a door while a snake descends a staircase in the foreground, another door is visible in the background. The woman is dressed in peculiar attire, including a skirt made of sticks and a bare bosom.

In the second section, Ilunga portrays the painting by François Boucher titled "Venus Triumph" in an altered iteration.

The third section features a deep red flat background with a monochromatic lion's head.

Ilunga created this painting to process the passing of her father. The first section - in black and white, represents her dream state, where she feels lost and trapped in her own mind with endless corridors and doors.

The second section represents her waking reality and the overwhelming emotions that come with processing loss.

The last column symbolizes her father. As Ilunga often experienced recurring dreams of lions encircling her, which she interpreted as a metaphor for her family. Afterall, a pride of lions is incomplete without the alpha male, or in this iteration without the leader of the family, her father.