Between Death and Life (2026)

From the Intervals series This painting emerged from my experiences of coming close to death and the altered sense of life that followed. I wanted to give form to a light that remained in my memory—something intensely present, yet almost impossible to paint. A luminous white form, surrounded by gold and orange, stands between a dark field and a deep green space that I came to recognize as a door. These forms hold a personal question: why am I still here, and how do I move forward? The surface develops through repeated applications of acrylic paint, sanding, and polishing. As portions of each layer are removed, earlier colors emerge, creating shadows, subtle patterns, and depth. Every new layer carries traces of what came before. Through this gradual accumulation and exposure, color begins to function as light and space. The work also marks a return to my own direction as an artist: a time when I stopped trying to prove myself and returned to making what I needed to create. Within the painting, memories of approaching death coexist with the continuing act of living.