“Beauty in Absence”

Description

As a child, I once heard the phrase, “A cemetery cannot be beautiful.” It stayed with me for years, though over time I came to question it. Sometimes the saddest things are also the most beautiful.

A few days ago, I came across photographs of Lake Velence, a lake in my country that is slowly drying out. The images of abandoned boats resting on cracked, sun-baked earth were deeply moving. Behind them came thoughts of everything being lost: ecosystems, livelihoods, childhood memories, local communities, and the countless plants and animals whose home is disappearing.

And yet, amid that sorrow, I was struck by the colours, textures, and patterns left behind by the exposed lakebed. They were undeniably beautiful.

This painting reflects on that tension: the coexistence of grief and beauty, absence and form. It is not a celebration of loss, but an acknowledgment that even painful realities can hold visual power—and that beauty does not erase tragedy, but can deepen our awareness of it.