Ly • 17 • Leitrim

16-18 Category   •  2026
This is an acrylic painting of lilies. I began by blocking in rough shapes of them, increasing their depth and finally framing them with a black background. The powerful expansion of the flowers represents reaching out for light despite being contained by the darkness. To me, it symbolises a path out during difficult times, when it feels like time will last forever. The arrangement is both deliberate and wild, demonstrating how things can extend beyond your control, and what matters is how you react. In this piece, the flowers’ death is inevitable, but they choose to face the light one last time, illustrating their undying love for illumination. They carry the memory of sunlight, the good times, and showcases life instilled within nature. Instead of deciding to be consumed by the darkness, the light remains to shine softly on the lilies in defiance, undeterred by the dark. They frame the flowers and allow them to stand out. Nature is calm but compelling when allowed to breathe, and this correlates with my belief of how powerful observation is. Nature is ephemeral but resilient, spontaneous and unpredictable.