"Cactus #3" Oil on canvas. 30×40 cm, 2024 unframed
In this work, I wanted to explore the living natural form through dense, almost sculptural painting. The cactus becomes not simply a plant, but a symbol of resilience, inner strength, and the ability to preserve life even in harsh conditions. I intentionally simplified the details to focus on rhythm, color, and the feeling of materiality.
Through thick impasto palette knife brushstrokes, I shaped the surface almost like a physical object, allowing texture to become part of the emotional experience of the painting. Deep emerald and turquoise tones interact with warm terracotta and coral colors in the background, creating a sense of vibrating color and inner movement.
For me, the image of the cactus is connected to the idea of adaptation and the ability to find beauty in places where the environment may feel empty or severe. There is also an idea of inner support and quiet vitality that continues to exist despite difficult circumstances. It was important for me that the painting could be felt not only visually, but almost physically through the density of paint, textured surface, and emotional temperature of color.
