PRESENTE

PRESENTE (2021), 100x100 cm, Print on Canvas

Presence—the moment when nothing yet exists. The mind whispers in panic at the void. There is nothing to grasp, nothing to defend. The head spins in circles, to the point of madness. You get used to it. You will. It is only a sick mind calling for an imaginary existence. It clings to what is not and fears what is. 
It is born of emptiness. Listen. Before every thought, there is nothing. Nothing yet exists. Only Presence. Only You.

PRESENTE is one of my most cherished works. Created in 2021 after nearly three years of preparation and contemplation of this theme, this 100x100 cm canvas print carries a profound meaning that fascinated and inspired me throughout its conceptualization and realization.

PRESENTE refers to the very beginning—an instant of genesis, that strange state where nothing is yet defined. It is a beautiful moment, though the mind may sometimes feel lost and unsettled, unable to grasp onto anything in this void. But it is precisely this emptiness that fascinates me. It is a space where there is nothing to defend, justify, or prove. Over time, the mind adapts and discovers something profoundly peaceful—pure existence.

For me, PRESENTE is also a unique kind of portrait photography. It is not a conventional portrait of a specific individual but rather a portrait of a mental state, a presence that exists within each of us. Through this image, I seek to encourage awareness—to invite people to pause, perceive the silence before a thought arises, and attempt to recognize the essence of simply being. It is a moment where there is no need to return to the past or reach toward the future—only to be.

This work has been recognized by the Global Photo Awards and was part of the portfolio that earned me the Master QEP title. To me, this serves as a confirmation that the idea of capturing a portrait before birth—an image of a human being in a singular moment where past and future become irrelevant—resonates with others as well.