The Weight of Stillness — A Self-Portrait in Truth

Make it stand out

Whatever it is, the way you tell your story online can make all the difference.

In The Weight of Stillness, I set out to paint not the version of myself that the world sees, but the one that exists in quiet honesty; the one that feels, observes, and endures. This self-portrait became less about likeness and more about truth. Every contour, every layered tone of brown and red, carries a piece of emotional history; the rawness of becoming.

The gaze is steady but not performative. It meets the viewer with the same intensity I meet my own reflection: questioning, grounded, unflinching. The loose, expressive strokes bring forward what lies beneath the surface; the fatigue of growth, the grace of resilience, the subtle defiance of softness that refuses to fade.

The leopard garment became more than a pattern; it became protection! a metaphor for instinct and endurance, for the animal spirit that lives inside all women who have learned to survive gracefully. The earthy palette ties everything back to origin; soil, skin, and fire.

Influenced by Expressionism’s emotional urgency and Figurative Realism’s psychological depth, this work bridges what’s seen and what’s felt. It is my attempt to make vulnerability visible… not polished or idealized, but honest and alive.