This intimate exhibition presents a selection of paintings by Karen Caruana, created over the past five years, reflecting a deeply personal chapter in the artist’s life.

Through the raw emotions of a broken heart and the quiet acceptance of lost dreams, the artist experienced a catharsis, using painting as a tool to let it all out – to feel, heal, and grow. The beauty that can emerge from darkness was a driving force behind this creative process. Each painting reflects periods of contemplation and self-preservation, exploring themes of isolation, the cautious craving for new connections, as well as the revisiting of old meaningful friendships. They also delve into insecurities and self-doubt that surfaced after periods of emotional survival, with some works depicting personal vulnerability in the search for external solace.

The works show a fine balance, between grieving or ‘starting a fire’. A recurring motif in some of the works is sunflowers, which serve as powerful triggers for personal memories – moments of joy in times of desperation. These flowers symbolize the delicate beauty and impermanence of life, embodying the bittersweet art of losing and the peace found in letting go.