Trapped Feelings

This painting was born from pain, fear, and helplessness. One day, I came across a digitally manipulated photograph online (unfortunately, the author remains unknown to me), and it became the spark that ignited this work. But the process of creating it was long and agonising—not just technically, but emotionally. What emerged on the canvas was the chaos within me, the crushing weight of a time when the world was paralysed by COVID, only to be shaken by war.

We all felt the same—fear, despair, a silent scream trapped inside. We learned to live with this pain, to conceal it beneath the routine of everyday life, yet it continued to tear us apart from within. For nearly a year, the painting remained unfinished, missing its upper face—an embodiment of hopelessness, a loss of faith in the future.

But then, I painted a face with open eyes. Because living without hope is impossible. In that moment, everything changed—the concept, the meaning, the way I saw the piece. Now, this painting is a reminder that even in the deepest darkness, there must be light, and we must seek it.

And yet… I am still unsure if it is truly finished.