Artist’s Works Statement:
"These works (The Alchemy of Us) are excavations. The poems are shovels; the canvases, the earth turned over.
The triptych mirrors my mind: the Heart (whole yet fragile), the Fade (absence as its own presence), the Phoenix (not rising ‘above’, but rising).
They are not perfect, how could they be? Since our loss, I’ve made and distorted countless pieces, tearing through grief like a wildfire.
This year, I stepped outside my comfort zone: writing words where I’d once only controlled brushes, letting language carve paths my hands couldn’t alone.
When I saw Espacio Gallery’s call for Spectrum of Life, it felt like a summons. These three canvases and two poems are my answer an invitation to witness love’s aftermath not as ruin, but as raw material.
What remains four boys, a love that outlives its vessel, and the stubborn act of building anyway."
Poetry & Art Series: "The Alchemy of Us"
I. The Written Foundations
1. "The Canvas of Us" (Displayed first)
"Life was a gallery, and we were its curators" The poem that began it all, a map of love, loss, and the boys who carry the colours forward.
2. "The Architecture of Us" (Final poem, displayed alongside completed canvases)
"We are building a new home I and the boys" A manifesto of resilience: grief turned to mortar, memory as the blueprint, four sons as pillars.
II. The Visual Triptych of raw canvases.
1. Coração de Viana (Heart of Viana) A symbol: life, love, fraternity, not just a heart, but a completed puzzle of the universal language of connection.
2. The Transition (Faded Light) Joanne’s image, like a whisper, the tension: the ache of absence, the ghost of presence, the way love lingers in the negative space.
3. Phoenix of Gratitude and Legacy (Embers to Dawn) Wings unfurled from ash gratitude as an act of rebellion. This is not an end, but a metamorphosis: the enduring impact of love, healing, hope, and the promise of new beginnings.
Thank You!
I extend my deepest gratitude to Nastia Swarevska for your unwavering support, invaluable advice, and thoughtful guidance.
As everyone knows, this endeavour was far outside my comfort zone, and I could not have achieved it without your encouragement and expertise. Thank you for believing in me and helping me navigate this challenge.