50x70 Acrylic on linen Over the past year, I slowly realised how easy it is to lose parts of yourself without even noticing. Not all at once, but quietly. As life changes, as new worlds open, as you adapt, compromise and grow around everything that surrounds you. Until one day you pause and wonder when you last truly recognised yourself. This painting was born from that moment. The three overlapping butterfly wings represent different versions of ourselves: who we have been, who we are becoming, and the parts of us that patiently wait to be found again. They don’t replace one another; they exist together. Every version deserves a place. Butterflies have always symbolised transformation, but to me they also represent something gentler: the quiet courage to return to yourself. To unfold at your own pace, without forcing who you think you should become. Built with transparent layers of acrylic and ink on linen, each wash allows traces of the previous layer to remain visible. Nothing is completely covered. Every experience, every choice, every season becomes part of the final piece. I called this work Les Premières Ailes—The First Wings—because this wasn’t the end of my journey. It was simply the first moment I felt myself coming home.