Light seen from below -filtered through water, broken by leaves drifting on the surface above.

I wanted to capture that particular stillness you find underwater, where everything slows and softens, and light becomes something you can almost touch. As I was painting,

I realized the lotus has meant rebirth and emergence across almost every ancient culture.

The smooth, fresco-crackled surface feels like a memory of ancient times -as if this moment of submerged light

has been preserved for centuries,

like a fresco in a forgotten temple.