Small joys, 2026
Archival digital print on Hahnemühle museum etching 350gsm, Edition 1 of 1
47,5 cm x 47,5 cm
Artist’s Statement
Small joys explores the quiet, often overlooked moments that make life feel bearable, meaningful, and strangely beautiful. The work reflects on the act of learning to exist in the present rather than constantly mourning the past or anxiously chasing the future.
For a few years now, I’ve battled the inner monologue of “what is life?” But recently I’ve found myself reconnecting with creativity, humour, softness, and the small comforts that had slowly disappeared beneath routine, pressure, and overbearing productivity. This illustration combines ordinary experiences and personal routines: chowing down noodles, plastic chairs, a nod to a very good band, my favourite cider, my super clingy dog, and handwritten lists of small joys. Individually they seem insignificant, mundane even, but together they become little reminders that life can still feel good.
The piece balances existential reflection with subtle humour, the dichotomy through which I experience life: Seriousness abruptly interrupted by lots of silliness.
Rather than presenting happiness as something grand or cinematic, the piece suggests that joy often exists in fragments, tiny moments of relief, comfort, and connection hidden within everyday life.
The artwork becomes both a self-portrait and a reminder: sometimes life is less about finding “the meaning of existence” and more about noticing the small things that encourage you to experience another day.
