Resilience was born in the quiet aftermath of failure — not once, but twice. The first attempt to paint this portrait failed horribly. The heart wasn’t ready. But months later, the second try gave way to something deeper: a boy emerging from into bright light with a gaze that holds both softness and strength. His face tells a story — not one we know, but one we feel. In the contours of his jaw, the calm of his lips, and the layered hues across his skin, there is the weight of unseen battles and the dignity of having survived them. He is quiet, but not passive. Watchful, but not hardened.
It is a meditation on restraint, power, and the unknown stories people carry with them every day. Resilience reminds us that we don’t always get it right the first time, in art or in life — but that trying again can sometimes bring us closer to truth.