ArtX Contemporary presents Draco Arising, a new solo exhibition of oil paintings by William Song. Inspired by a vision of the Draco constellation, Song experienced coiling forms of energy that expanded into dynamic star systems and constellations in space. These flowing forms coalesced into the Draco constellation, sparking a series of paintings that navigate between the celestial and the elemental through richly layered textures and luminous color.
Above: Draco Arising, Oil on canvas, 48 x 32 inches
Song’s paintings emerge from a meditative process, unfolding slowly through the addition and removal of paint, often over months or years. Working primarily in oils, sometimes combined with cold beeswax, he builds and excavates each surface with a palette knife. Light and color are treated not just as compositional factors, but “as pure vibrations, elemental and pre-verbal, striking emotive chords”, Song explains.
While the initial inspiration came from his vision of Draco and its brightest star, Eltanin (Dragon’s Head), the series expanded to include paintings such as Eltanin Portal, which imagines a dimensional shift at the heart of a star, and Music of the Spheres, a diptych exploring harmonic motion through space. Other works, including Draco’s Ode, Solaris, and Spirit Garden, ground these cosmic themes in earthly elements of air, water, fire, and earth.
Above: Aquarius, Oil on Canvas, 60 x 48
William Song is a contemporary painter based in Washington State whose work explores perception, energy, and the subtle dynamics of light and consciousness. His path bridges a career in law – where he earned national recognition in a complex legal specialty – with a long-standing painting practice informed by meditation, philosophy, and travel throughout Italy, Japan, India, and the American Southwest. His work is held in both private and public collections, including the permanent collections of Oregon Health & Science University, the City of Bellevue, and the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center.
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