Holding on to something real, 2026

Oil on canvas

This painting is part of my graduation series exploring dreams as emotional and psychological spaces where the boundaries between reality, memory, and the subconscious become unstable. The series was inspired by my experience of recurring, exceptionally vivid dreams that often felt like living another life and left a lasting emotional impact after waking. The painting depicts a female figure kneeling between two platforms, leaning forward with an outstretched arm while balancing her weight between them. One platform functions as a seat, the other as a point of support. These geometric forms introduce a sense of structure and symbolize an attempt to remain connected to reality. The figure’s bent back and the tension concentrated in her fingertips suggest a fragile state of physical and emotional strain, suspended between sleep and wakefulness. The background is filled with flowers that merge with the body in some areas while breaking through it in others. Here, the flowers become symbols of sleep and the subconscious, an overwhelming force that gradually envelops the figure and cannot be resisted. The warm palette of muted yellows and earthy browns creates an atmosphere that is simultaneously comforting and oppressive, reinforcing the sensations of exhaustion, heaviness, and emotional weight associated with the dream state. The work was created as part of my BA graduation project at the Art Academy of Latvia and has been exhibited in the 2026 BA Graduation Exhibition.