Axel's Portal - Painting (2026)

'Axel's Portal' (2026) - Acrylic on Paper

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Mediums: Acrylic Paint, Candle Wax, Ash

Paper weight: 200–230 GSM

Dimensions: 27 x 19 inches

Limited to 1 Purchase per Collector

Price on Request

This is a limited run of the 'Skullcrusher' print painted over by Nat Ćmiel for their performance art project titled, 'Axel's Portal', filmed in January 2026. The original image was photographed by Neil Krug in Los Angeles, California, in January 2025.

The original 'Skullcrusher' print was released as promotional material and sold as merchandise for Ćmiel's music project, 'yeule'. During the official album rollout of yeule's 4th studio album 'Evangelic Girl is a Gun' (Ninja Tune Records - London, UK), the Evangelic Girl is a Gun era's imagery had its debut for the first time. The poster depicts the institutionalised artist, staring sharp through the lens, cutting through the paper where it holds form.

The official music video for 'Skullcrusher', directed by Nat Ćmiel and Neil Krug, features Ćmiel, strapped into a straight jacket. The infamous straight jacket that was sourced, was used in the United Kingdom in the post-war era after 1945. Psychiatric institutions at the time, used a uniquely restricting buckle design, with straps going underneath the groin area, and with arms in a criss-cross position, an additional four buckles are used to tightened the arms around the back, restricting motion. Strait jackets were commonly used in British asylums and mental hospitals from the 18th century through much of the 20th century, peaking in the Victorian era and continuing into the mid-20th century as a means of physical restraint for agitated, violent, or self-harming patients when other methods failed. 

The video for 'Skullcrusher' depicts a dystopian facility imbuing façades of a mental institution residing within a banal, abandoned, oil rig. Ćmiel commented on the inspiration for the concept to mirror that of their experience in rehabilitation and institutions.

In a satyrical yet haunting way - the depth of the imagery is succinctly ethereal despite the dark nature of the context.

Ćmiel graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art with a BA in Fine Arts, specialising in Painting and Sculpture. Their painting works outside of music have not been released to the public, but images of paintings, on rare occasion, can be found on their archival instagram account 'axolotylu', as well as on their tumblr site. Ćmiel has yet to release paintings for sale, but have released a prints of sketches and drawings, in their 2021 book 'Nuclear War Post X'. The book has been discontinued. 

Words by Francesca F.

2026 ©  Ether Eternal Productions