In the shadow of caves, the first human beings were portrayed by the light of flares and torches. "These early painters would return, bearing their torches, and the beings they had rendered in black would shimmer back to life. Permanent shadows, thirty thousand years old..." The shadows they created would be permanent, dancing in the inconstant light of the torches.
Teju Cole

This series comprises experimental works that focus mainly on color. Sometimes, during the working process, I perceive shapes and figures which I then represent with my brush and bring to life with paint. It is part of a body of work that accesses the thoughts, dreams and memories that shape my perception in a particular way.

The first work in the series is based on the last lunar eclipse, also known as the 'Fire Moon'. Fire Moon depicts a landscape in flames, with three figures walking in the same direction, connected to their surroundings. I am interested in creating a strong sense of place by exploring the relationship between humanity and the environment. The figures on the canvas illustrate varying degrees of awareness of an urgent situation. The central figure turns to make out a landscape amidst the flames. The next figure looks straight ahead as he walks. His gait shows man's perseverance in the face of adversity, with the resilience that characterises him. The fire envelops the whole landscape, from the ground to the top, together with the landscape of light and vegetation. The last figure on the right is a ghost, representing a moral attitude towards change. He looks at his hands, a symbol of introspection, while a glow in his palms illuminates his concerns. The central argument of this work is to highlight the position of human society. It poses two questions: where are we going, and what can this say about us? In this work, I outline my personal concerns about climate change, focusing on the continuing rise in temperatures and the lack of water, which is intensifying fires and droughts on a national and global scale.

The areas where color blurs the boundary between one thing and another are due to my belief in color: that it is a variation of temperature and dimension in space, that it homogenizes the world. I want my work to show what I cannot express in words. I want color to be a unifying motif between cultures. I want to expand the idea of color in an inclusive socio-cultural direction. I want to show the continuity of nature. The landscape is presented in a patterned composition, which is different from the way it is perceived by humans, where objects are separated from their surroundings. Color permeates all the subjects in the painting: suggestive representations of the human body, bushes and trees. My aim is to create a link between man and the environment, blurring the boundaries between the two through painting.

My dreams and memories are dominated by visual images. When I wake up, I remember what I saw and experienced in the dream. I make sense of the seemingly random images that appear in my dreams and turn them into stories. The coherence of my dreams is determined by emotions and visual and tactile sensations, which can provide valuable information about my state of mind. Similarly, I use the sensations stored in my memory to recall experiences and thoughts and turn them into images.

"Darkest Hour" features a memory of my brother. The painting is a reflection of a challenging period in my life, to which the title alludes. My priority was to convey the atmosphere through out-of-focus figures and color to create a ghostly quality. Through the artwork, I delve into themes of nostalgia, hope, and perception. Reminiscent of one of the most disheartening nights I have ever experienced, this artwork's dark color scheme captures the deep night just before daybreak, when the sky is at its blackest. Despite this, it is a stirring portrait of hope, with my mood infusing the entire picture. The gesture with the hand is an offer of help. The figure's dramatic stride, with one foot facing the viewer, reveals my gaze. To one side, lines of crimson, green and white trace the pavement and fade into the background. The lines sharpen the perspective and extend beyond the canvas, framing a moment in time.

"Time Knows No Lies" depicts a fragmented landscape with lines and geometric shapes. The top of the painting features two triangular mountains in deep ultramarine blue, separated by a sky that is divided into flashes of light. There the light falls on the sea, dividing the waves into streaks of light. In the middle of the sea, a black triangle marks a void, an absence accentuated by the echo of the water rising from the sea without a figure. I want to suggest a temporal loop. To me, it represents a fragmentation of time.
In "Divine Help", on the other hand, strokes of viridian and yellow create a landscape in motion. The figures, both human and angelic, evoke a moment of cooperation in my support network.

"I'm No Longer the Creature From My Dream" refers to surpassing a self-perception from a dream. The artwork portrays two figures: a boy and an anthropomorphic figure that is half-human and half-wolf. They are walking in opposite directions, signalling a rupture. The atmosphere is sombre and permeated with mist. Stars, fireflies, and vegetation glimmer here. The child seems to be detached from the creature through the mist. The creature refers to the ecstatic content of my dreams, whether wild or violent, sometimes even dreaming of being someone else.

The artwork 'Meditation on a Full Moon' explores the imagery used in a guided meditation. I am interested in the mental ability to move between places. During a meditation session, the group was asked to visualize themselves in a forest, facing a body of water. My interpretation of this moment culminates in this painting. The face of the figure is blurred, suggesting a partial presence. The reflection of the figure in the water symbolizes the journey towards oneself. I am interested in exploring spirituality through painting.

"Sleepwalker" portrays a figure walking through fog in an ambiguous landscape. Strands of saturated color envelop the figure, creating a dreamlike world that emphasizes the sense of unreality. The image conveys both uncertainty and courage as the strand propels the character forward amidst the clouds of haze. The distant stars create depth and evoke the feeling of a night sky. I envision the figure as a daring explorer, embodying the spirit of adventure and advancement.