2024 Finalists

For this work , I decided to reimagine drawings I made as a child, around the age of five. As I revisited these early creations, I remembered the thoughts and feelings I had at the time. Children have a unique way of depicting the world, often through simple, bold motifs like the sun, hearts, and stars—symbols that are often dismissed as kitsch in adult art. In this painting, I approached these motifs seriously, using them as key elements in the composition. By doing so, I aimed to find deeper symbolic meaning in these childhood drawings and to integrate them into my artistic practice, turning what is usually seen as kitsch into a deliberate visual language.

In this piece, I also address the challenge of depicting happiness in contemporary art, striving to move beyond the clichés and sentimentality that often accompany joyful representations. I aim to authentically depict joy’s complexities and nuances, rather than oversimplifying it. By using childhood motifs, I hope to explore joy in a more profound way, recognizing that it can emerge even from the darker, more melancholic aspects of life. Through this approach, I seek to express the bittersweet joy that coexists with the inevitable struggles of everyday existence.

(26/33)