A Bloom in the Ashes Where I Fell

Iris represents a deeply personal story of love, betrayal, and transformation. The three vertical petals, the standards, symbolize three people intertwined in a love triangle. At the center, a man embraces an upright woman. His back is turned to the third figure, a woman inverted, her contents spilling as her world collapses.

The darkened petals at the flower's base, the falls, ground the painting in the weight of grief and dissolution; while the luminous standards, the three figures, radiate light into the surrounding darkness. On the central fall lies a vermilion red beard, shaped like a heart. It embodies Love, the life force that sustains the figures above. This interplay of light and shadow carries the message that love, even in the face of heartbreak, is a risk worth taking.

Painted nearly a decade later, Iris reflects the depth of heartbreak and the time it takes to heal. Though the work explores themes of loss and emotional upheaval, it ultimately conveys a message of hope; that even after profound pain, we can grow, rebuild, and find the courage to love again.