A cross tattooed on his left arm; a small, cold apartment, and his family praying for him on the other side of the ocean. Failing is not an option.
 
 This painting is inspired by the story of my first boyfriend, a Coptic Christian who emigrated from his country to Europe due to religious discrimination.
When I met him, he was furious toward his motherland and carried a sense of desperation. He couldn’t speak english well enough to share his story, and even when he tried, people didn’t really believe him.
He was very proud of the tattoo on his left arm of Jesus and a cross, always showing it off. It used to confuse me, but I later understood that back in his country, showing it could have been dangerous, and in Europe he was experiencing freedom of belief for the first time.
He had lost everything and was living in a small apartment with other refugees, far from his family. God was the only thing left to him.
 
 
Acrylics on Canvas, 2026.
8" x 10"; 20,32 x 25,4 cm
Frame in the picture included. (Painting shipped already framed.)
Ready to hang with a D-ring on the back.
Covered in gloss protective varnish.