"“Golden Ocean Reflection – Dance” is an underwater self-portrait that expresses my identity through movement, water, and light. It captures the graceful rhythm of my body as it merges with the ocean’s fluidity. Underwater, it is the water that guides the movement — each moment becomes intentional, and every breath matters.
Breath, often unnoticed in everyday life, becomes a visible, magical force below the surface. Its rhythm creates delicate bubbles and motion that inspire me deeply.
I’ve been dancing ballet since childhood, and the elegance, discipline, and emotion of dance continue to shape the way I move — both in life and in painting. This piece brings together two of my deepest passions: the ocean and dance.
Every summer, I spend hours underwater, observing the shifting patterns of light. The way sunlight filters through the surface and dances across the skin and sea floor feels endlessly mesmerizing.
To intensify that shimmering effect, I used 24ct gold leaf — highlighting the sparkle of the water, the bubbles, and the light.
What fascinates me is the ever-changing world beneath the surface: the textures, the shifting colors, the sense of wonder.
This work is also a gentle reminder that we are part of something greater — this beautiful, fragile planet — and that it is our responsibility to cherish and protect it.
A personal note I decided to share:
I painted this self-portrait during a phase of deep emotional and physical challenges. But I reminded myself: even at the bottom of the ocean — metaphorically speaking — there is always a way back to the light and the surface. To be strong, to face it, and to rise.
That’s why the pose in this painting expresses a moment of transition: one arm reaches toward the light, while the other still points into the depths — a symbol of letting go. Just a few months after completing the piece, my life shifted into a much brighter, more hopeful phase.
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