The Portraits series represents a deeply personal exploration of humanity, where black and white form the central duality. For me, these colors embody the extremes of hope and despair, two opposing forces that are intricately woven into the human condition. Through my brushstrokes, I aim to evoke the emotional complexity that transcends any binary view of life.

In each portrait, I reject the notion of completeness. The faces, though recognizable, remain deliberately unfinished, mirroring the incomplete nature of the individuals we see in the world. My portraits are not meant to capture perfection; instead, they are fragments of people, much like we all are. Emotions, too, are not captured in neat categories like joy, sadness, or regret. They blend into one another, as my brushstrokes blend, creating a grey area where human feeling truly exists. I don’t believe that life can be summed up with a singular expression or a perfect likeness. My intention is to strip away the pretension of art and leave behind a subtle, emotive canvas that invites the viewer to engage.

I paint with the belief that imagination triumphs over knowledge, myth over history, and hope over experience. Hope, I feel, is the most powerful and enduring force. As a result, my portraits leave space for the viewer to contribute—to fill in the gaps with their own thoughts, beliefs, and emotions. My work is not about giving answers but about opening up a dialogue, where the painting is completed through interaction with the audience’s inner world.

This series also marks the end of my journey with portraiture. Having made a pledge to no longer paint portraits, these works stand as my final homage to the genre. They remain in private collection, quietly reflecting my belief that love, hope, and the complexity of human emotion are stronger and more enduring than any single image or word.