Enlightenment

A3 print.

About the Artwork

In this painting, a memory is represented in the form of a hummingbird (for its fleeting nature). The figure is looking at the bid in an allegory to remembrance of a memory trace. Her face is lit up by the irradiating light coming from this memory, symbolising how sometimes remembering can shine light on us (and we would find ourselves in the darkness if we were without memories of the past). The figure is painted with a focus on the lack of details and blurring of the periphery which mimics how the brain processes visual inputs.

Neurons connect with each other through synapses: small spaces between these cells that allow for information transmission in the form of chemical and electrical exchanges. Synapses are crucial for the brain's plasticity, and are the basis of memories in the brain. In my paintings, memories are represented as fleeting birds and flowers floating around the shapes of neurons and synapses.