Self Portrait

In many of my paintings, I intentionally leave a portion of the canvas bare. I am fascinated by the idea of “just enough”—the notion that a painting isn’t complete simply by covering the entire canvas, but rather through its meaningful interaction with the viewer. This concept resonates with me in the works of Edgar Degas and John Singer Sargent, whose sketches often captivate me more than their finished pieces. Similarly, I admire Rodin’s marble carvings that preserve large areas of the rock in its rough, unchiseled state.

During a lecture by Santiago Calatrava, I learned about a bridge-building workshop where students were challenged to design in its simplest form. Calatrava’s practice of cutting away parts of their designs with scissors, yet never compromising its structural integrity, demonstrates his commitment to minimalism. His famous bridges are physical embodiments of this principle, showcasing how elegance and functionality can coexist in their most essential forms.