“Tax of sacrifice” by Salvador Zanor AKA Safr

Acrylic on canvas (40x50cm)

“Tax of Sacrifice” is a surreal and symbolic painting referencing the commodification of sacrifice and the contradiction between divine ideals and human behavior. A Christ emerging from a jack-in-the-box, gestures with one hand raised in blessing and the other bleeding, as red drops fall onto a sacred book—evoking martyrdom, religious devotion, and the price of faith.

Behind him looms a demonic silhouette, hinting at the omnipresence of temptation and shadow selves. A yellow halo surrounds his head, ironically contrasting the darker elements around him. The foreground features scattered golden coins, a bottle of wine, a pack of cigarettes, a nail, and a deck of cards marked with a red heart—symbols of addiction, chance, materialism, and human fragility.

This piece confronts the viewer with the tension between divinity and spectacle, questioning how society monetizes suffering and idolizes pain. It invites reflection on the cost of spiritual authenticity in a world that trades meaning for performance.