Drawing

Hand study

I observed one of my hands and created a study of it, drawing three different hand positions on the sheet, and trying to use lines as a form of expression.

Freedom: A personal concept, a personal journey

Two years ago, I underwent major surgery on my leg. The overwhelming pain and the uncertainty about my recovery led me to a place of deep frustration and hopelessness. So much of my joy had come from walking—exploring the city, traveling, seeing people, and living an active life. But suddenly, even the smallest steps, like walking to the sofa, became unbearably painful. It felt like my freedom had been taken away in a way I could have never imagined it was possible.

Then I met Asier, who helped reeducate me on how to walk. He said one thing that stayed with me: to imagine I was walking on water, creating invisible splashes and waves with each step. And for months, that’s exactly what I’ve been doing—walking on water—no one can see it, but I actually walk on water.

It has taken enormous strength, patience, family support, and training to reclaim parts of my life. Although I still live with pain, I’ve regained much of my freedom. There’s still a way to go, but I am getting closer and closer and closer.

Learnings and process

1. Reflections on Freedom
When I started this project, I spent time reflecting on what freedom means to me, and the emotions it invokes. I explored how these feelings could be represented visually. Initially, I experimented with a few abstract and conceptual approaches, but they didn’t feel personal enough. In the end, I chose a more immediate and personal interpretation of freedom, focusing on my physical and emotional journey to regain it. The process of overcoming limitations and moving forward became the core theme I wanted to convey.

2. The Drawing Process
Once I had settled on the theme, I started researching how waves move and how to represent them on paper. I explored different angles and experimented with positioning the figure and the lines of the waves. In the end, I chose horizontal lines to symbolize balance and calm. I aimed for the waves to convey a sense of weightlessness and power at the same time, since my physical and emotional recovery felt so impossible that it was a nearly “godlike task”. I depicted myself with mid-length hair, as I had it around the time of the surgery. Ultimately, I wanted to capture the feeling of progress and the drive to keep moving forward, which, to me, is another form of freedom.

One major learning came when I finished the first version of the drawing: something felt off, but I couldn’t pinpoint it at first. Then I realized the spacing between the horizontal lines was going in the wrong direction, making the entire drawing feel ungrounded. This was the opposite of the message I wanted to convey so, interesting as it somehow was, it had to be redone.