Erase Me Cover Me Forget Me | 2024

This painting emerged on top of another piece. That painting, which now lives only as a mere memory, caused me confusion and anxiety because it was so different from all my previous works. The difference was not only clear visually, but I also felt different while creating it.
It was a very joyful act, free from any critical thoughts or judgements. I felt fresh and new, as if I had discovered some essential truth about myself. It was an authentic piece that wanted and needed to come out so I could recognise and honour a part of me I didn’t know existed.

Unfortunately, as soon as the excitement from this discovery settled down, I was presented with all of the potential and imagined scenarios that my mind was busy creating. I’d become scared of showing the outside world something that both it and I were unfamiliar with.
I started questioning my identity. I was confused. So, in the name of preserving that fragile identity, I decided to remove the painting from my collection by not only not showing it but also painting over it.

The colour palette oscillates between whites and greys, creating a false sense of calm.
A semi-transparent line runs across the centre, covering the largest bright lines underneath, the only remnants of what this painting used to be.