CATHERINE

2021, Oil

Bronze statues look on, unblinking. Around us, passersby drift closer, drawn by the sound of our laughter. At the center of our blanket rests a pistachio cake, an unexpected little wonder. I turn to Catherine... Even after all these years, her gaze remains imprinted on my memory, echoing that moment in the heart of the country, where lakes dissolved into the horizon and buildings, veined with ancient fossils, carried stories far older than our own.
It was there that I shaped myself, piece by piece. And at times, I still find myself wandering back.