This painting, which took ten months to finish, was inspired by my son. But more than just a reflection of motherly bond, it became a representation of struggles and vulnerabilities of the past few years. 

Relocating to a small town from Montreal in 2021, in the middle of pandemic, brought back identity struggles of already a 2-time immigrant, having to restart everything from scratch and build connections.  I was not just an outsider in the new plcae, but with the start of the covid restrictions and mandates, all the doors got shut closed in front of my face. Being far away from friends, and not able to travel to see my family in the States, I spent most of my days painting alone, in silence, trying to process the most challenging and confusing time of my life. 

I needed a hug. I found solace in this painting. Just as my little son found comfort hiding inside my shirt, I found comfort painting us, alone together, in this mad mad world. 

Oil on canvas.

Acrylic study:

Exploring the same style, this time with cats