Merrill Hewitt

I am a mixed-media artist from Maryland, working under the name Dame Eiger. In my practice, I explore societal taboos and the darker side of human nature, using symbolic imagery to confront themes we often avoid. My thesis project, Divine Madness, is a collection of works that reflect on desire, control, and violence. At its center is Raptio, a sculptural bull representing the primal urges that fuel sexual violence, which was inspired by the ideas explored in Plato’s Phaedrus. Across from it stands Kalon Kakon, a veiled bride cloaked in shedded snake skin—a symbol of how women have historically been framed as objects to tame, possess, or silence through marriage.