When I painted this piece wanted to create something that would make the viewer pause and reflect. It's not just a pretty face looking at you - there is much more going on here, layers of symbolism and meaning.

That orange, sitting there all alone on the plate, drawing your eye in and daring you to uncover its secrets. To me, it represents the human soul with hidden depths just waiting to be explored. It's the essence of who we are, stripped bare and laid out for all to see.

And the way it contrasts with the purity of the white cloth and plate? That's the duality of the human experience, the push and pull between the material and the spiritual, the earthly and the divine. We are all searching for that balance, that harmony between the two, and this painting is my way of exploring endless search.

This woman, with her elegance and her direct gaze - she's a conduit, a bridge between the past and the present. She represents the timeless being of humanity, the way our experiences and our struggles have echoed through the ages, connecting us all in ways we sometimes forget.

When I painted her, I wanted her to look like she could have stepped right out of a different era, but still be rooted in the here and now. 
We are all products of our history, but we are also the architects of our future. And this painting, it's my way of reminding you, of making that sense of connection to something greater than ourselves.