As 2024 comes to a close, I find myself reflecting on a year of profound change. From personal loss to moments of artistic growth, this journey has been one of rediscovery and resilience. Here, I share the highs and lows, the silences, and the new beginnings that have shaped me.
Closing a year like 2024 has not been easy. It has been a year of profound transformations, marked by the loss of my father in September. After a long period of illness, I had the privilege of accompanying him until the end, facing long-standing wounds and finding a new sense of peace. The illness changed both of us: it transformed a relationship often marked by conflict, bringing moments of sweetness and reconciliation.
I was not alone on this journey. Alongside my husband, a constant presence and a rock I could lean on, my family, my mother, and especially my brother, we faced the illness and the loss with love and solidarity. It was a shared path, filled with a pain that did not feel like mere pain but a profound form of love, discovered almost unknowingly. We shared a love we perhaps didn’t realize we had, a collective strength that eased the weight of suffering.
Three weeks later, my sixtieth birthday arrived, a moment that found me in the midst of mourning, amplifying conflicting emotions. On one hand, there was gratitude for the journey so far and an awareness of the strength that coexists with my fragility. On the other, there was a sense of urgency and disorientation: I wondered if I had remained stuck, if I had truly come close to my dreams, and above all, what those dreams even were. This interplay of emotions left me suspended, yet with a renewed determination to look forward with greater clarity and purpose.
Despite the challenges, there were moments of light: two solo exhibitions and a piece that I consider a turning point in my artistic journey. These milestones reminded me of how much I love creating and how integral art is to who I am.
Now I feel the need to change, to give my work a deeper meaning. In the coming year, I hope it will be a year of rebuilding and new beginnings, to be lived with greater awareness and humility. Every silence, every pause, every hesitation has its place in this story.
Let us toast to the new year with confidence and determination.
