Migration III continues the exploration of home through the lens of bureaucracy and belonging. Here, the focus shifts to the often invisible yet deeply felt limbo of waiting—the endless lines for food, documentation, and recognition that accompany migration. A procession of adults, faceless and fragmented, moves across the canvas in a blur of green tones, echoing both institutional sterility and emotional disconnection. Their presence is muted, obscured by abstraction and drips of paint, symbolising depersonalisation and the erosion of identity in the face of red tape.

At the heart of the work is a young child, rendered with striking clarity. Clutching a parent's hand and trailing the familiar checkered blanket—an emblem of continuity across the series—she gazes outward with quiet resilience. The vibrant red space she stands in suggests both danger and transformation, a vast emotional landscape she inhabits unknowingly. Within the folds of the blanket rests a small toy monkey, seemingly cradled in the fabric and watched over by the child, creating a tender loop of care and connection—an “infinity mirror” of protection amidst chaos.

The stylistic language of abstracted realism persists, with figures fading in and out of focus, merging into painterly fields of colour. The drips and smudges suggest the erosion of certainty and the blur of time, while the sharp rendering of the child anchors the viewer in the emotional truth of the scene. This piece speaks to the adaptability of children, their ability to play and feel safe despite uncertainty, so long as a hand is held and a loved one is near.

Migration III

200 x 100 cm

Oil on canvas

2025