In the Middle of the Euphoria, I Forgot that Blue Turned to Black Again
In the Middle of the Euphoria, I Forgot that Blue Turned to Black Again / В разгара на еуфорията, не забелязах, че сумракът е станал нощ
acrylic, charcoal and lumograph black pencil on 50% cotton Fabriano Rasaspina paper
Image size: 24.5 x 23.5 cm, Anton Terziev, 2023
Courtesy of the artist
Part of No Time For Losers series of drawings, paintings and objects (2019-)
Title credit: Svetoslav Todorov - editor, writer, correspondent
Photo material use - Charisa Nicole Sigala aka Charisa Sweetheart after her BKFC win over Jessica Link 03.10. 2021
Charisa is an American professional mixed martial artist (2021-2023)
BKFC Fighter, MMA Fighter, BJJ Black Belt, BTS Training Weigh Instructor, and Onlyfans model
Anton Terziev’s In the Middle of the Euphoria, I Forgot that Blue Turned to Black Again, part of his ongoing No Time For Losers series, is a riveting exploration of the thin line between exultation and brutality. Inspired by Charisa Nicole Sigala—an MMA fighter and OnlyFans model—the work channels both her triumphant victory and the unsettling undercurrent of violence that fuels the crowd’s appetite for spectacle. Executed in acrylic, charcoal, and lumograph black pencil, Terziev’s aggressive brushwork and stark contrasts capture the raw intensity of the moment: the fighter’s expression is both euphoric and pained, reflecting the extremes of physical combat.
By embracing the immediacy of visceral gestures and a monochromatic palette punctuated by flashes of red, Terziev compels viewers to confront their own fascination with blood and glory. The piece is at once a celebration of resilience and a commentary on society’s endless thirst for dramatic displays of power, making it a striking emblem of the series’ interrogation of winners, losers, and the spectacle that binds them.
In the Middle of the Euphoria, I Forgot that Blue Turned to Black Again / В разгара на еуфорията, не забелязах, че сумракът е станал нощ
acrylic, charcoal and lumograph black pencil on 50% cotton Fabriano Rasaspina paper
Image size: 24.5 x 23.5 cm, Anton Terziev, 2023
Courtesy of the artist
Part of No Time For Losers series of drawings, paintings and objects (2019-)
Title credit: Svetoslav Todorov - editor, writer, correspondent
Photo material use - Charisa Nicole Sigala aka Charisa Sweetheart after her BKFC win over Jessica Link 03.10. 2021
Charisa is an American professional mixed martial artist (2021-2023)
BKFC Fighter, MMA Fighter, BJJ Black Belt, BTS Training Weigh Instructor, and Onlyfans model
Anton Terziev’s In the Middle of the Euphoria, I Forgot that Blue Turned to Black Again, part of his No Time for Losers series, seizes on the potent intersection of victory and brutality. Inspired by Charisa Nicole Sigala—a female MMA fighter and OnlyFans model—this acrylic, charcoal, and lumograph black pencil piece depicts the aftermath of a bloody, triumphant fight that feeds the public’s hunger for spectacle. The artist’s forceful brushwork and stark tonal contrasts amplify the raw intensity, exposing a disturbing cocktail of eroticism and mortality—Eros and Thanatos—within the fighter’s contorted expression. Terziev thus confronts the viewer with a visceral testament to the allure of violence and the seductive power it holds, challenging us to acknowledge our own fascination with the extremes of danger, death, and desire.
In the Middle of the Euphoria, I Forgot that Blue Turned to Black Again / В разгара на еуфорията, не забелязах, че сумракът е станал нощ
acrylic, charcoal and lumograph black pencil on 50% cotton Fabriano Rasaspina paper
Image size: 24.5 x 23.5 cm, Anton Terziev, 2023
Courtesy of the artist
Part of No Time For Losers series of drawings, paintings and objects (2019-)
Title credit: Svetoslav Todorov - editor, writer, correspondent
Photo material use - Charisa Nicole Sigala aka Charisa Sweetheart after her BKFC win over Jessica Link 03.10. 2021
Charisa is an American professional mixed martial artist (2021-2023)
BKFC Fighter, MMA Fighter, BJJ Black Belt, BTS Training Weigh Instructor, and Onlyfans model
Anton Terziev’s In the Middle of the Euphoria, I Forgot that Blue Turned to Black Again is a gripping, expressionistic snapshot of raw, visceral intensity. Executed in acrylic, charcoal, and lumograph black pencil, the piece pulsates with kinetic energy, capturing a fleeting moment of triumph in the aftermath of extreme violence. The bold, gestural strokes—largely in stark black, white, and fleeting shades of red—amplify the charged atmosphere, emphasizing the heightened emotional and physical state of the fighter.
There is a disorienting sense of both victory and brutality as the figure’s face contorts between exultation and pain. Terziev’s rough, textured application of media mirrors the fractured, chaotic nature of the spectacle itself, hinting at the frenzied roar of the crowd. The work probes the complex allure of combat sports, laying bare our collective fascination with blood and glory. Through its raw immediacy, the painting confronts the viewer with an unsettling blend of celebration and carnage, reminding us of the thin line between euphoria and darkness that fuels our hunger for spectacle.