Kate • 17 • Cork

16-18 Category   •  2024
In this piece, I have painted something “imaginary” from the dreams of a person. This idea was inspired by Vincent van Gogh's art piece Starry night. Starry night is a landscape rather than focusing on a town, it centers around a person.Since Starry night focuses on mental health and experiences of Vincent, I decided to apply that on this piece as well. In my experience, my sleeping is very poor, I never took it seriously until I entered 5th year. Sleep is a very important factor in our life, I’d say sleep with dreams is also important. Dreams process in with emotions and experiences that help in problem solving and sometimes they could mean something meaningful and beyond imaginary. In the art piece the swirling night sky with stars symbolizes creativity, expresses a person's subconscious feelings and desires allowing them to personally connect with each other. Butterflies on the lady’s body represent a change in life. These creatures often go through massive change in life, which resonates with themes such as rebirth and new beginnings in a dream context. I wanted this piece to show that when a person is dreaming they undergo a period of self-discovery or emotional development, encouraging them to embrace their own transformations. The stars in the painting also point out to my hope and guidance, I’m trying to convey the viewer to trust in their instincts and intuition. Follow your dreams and passion. It’s me, it’s all of us, each individual with dreams can sleep well. Overall they may be mixed up but the painting captures the enchanted world of sleep and dreams, inviting viewers to reflect on their own nocturnal journeys. It beckons the imagination, encouraging a deeper exploration of what lies beneath the surface of slumber, an invitation to embrace the mystery of the mind and the transformative power of dreams.