"Live Fast, Die Young Original"
2013. Watercolour, pens and ink on watercolour paper.
Live Fast, Die Young is inspired by a music video Bad Girls by the rapper M.I.A who is an English-born Sri-Lankan. The portrait is based on one of the ladies in the music video. Modé is a fan of M.I.A's passion for political statements in her various art forms, but Bad Girls has been the most impactful.
Although many may think of "Live Fast, Die Young" as a wrong approach to life, Modé doesn't interpret the musict that way. For her, it translates to choosing quality of life over quantity. The repetitive circular pattern of the words is a form of meditation for Modé, and it is meant to continuously remind her to appreciate the fragility of life and to do her best to live it to the fullest.