Between Fortune and Distractions
Acrylic on Canvas 36 × 46 in. Finished on May 2026
In this painting, I explored my own distractions and temptations. At first glance, the scene can feel peaceful and maybe harmonious, but beneath its stillness lies an undercurrent of doubt, restlessness, and temptation.
The four tarot cards scattered across the ground represent fortune. Their meaning changes in relation to the fifth card, The Moon, carried by one of the chickens. Together, they suggest that fortune and uncertainty can coexist, hinting that what appears fortunate may also carry doubt, illusion, or unpredictability.
The black doorway is inspired by a pre-Hispanic stone relief I saw at the Museo Nacional de Antropología in Mexico City. In the painting, it represents the inframundo, a symbolic threshold associated with death, mystery, and the unknown.
The figure at the top of the painting is the same person shown in the foreground: me. It represents a choice within the same scene. Instead of following the doorway, the figure chooses the path with the chickens. They represent the distractions that shape my life. They are harmless; they fulfill me, bring me joy, and in the end shape me into the person I am.
The small structure on the right side of the painting is also based on a pre-Hispanic reference. I included it as a symbol of nurturing those distractions that enrich my life and make it feel full of meaning.
I know the doorway may give the painting a darker tone, but I wanted to be honest in this composition. In the end, I'm grateful to recognize my own weaknesses and patterns, to change, and to choose stability and happiness over chasing things that ultimately don't make me happy and, at their worst, can be destructive.
The painting's true colors in natural light, along with a better sense of its actual scale. You can also spot me in the mirror's reflection.
