From the very beginning, I knew that I wanted to approach this time at Casa Asmara as a kind of internal reset. Shortly before my departure, my major solo exhibition ended, and I therefore perceived the residency as a space for observation, perception, and creation without the pressure of a specific goal or performance.

At the same time, my stay coincided with March 20th, the spring equinox, which I see as a symbolic beginning of a new cycle. This moment held great significance for me and naturally connected with my series “Reborn”, which explores rebirth through the element of fire and the metaphor of the Phoenix as a process of transformation, purification, and renewal. Fire is my essential element and another symbolic connection.

During the residency, I created loose drawing experiments with subtle touches of color, which evoked for me the blooming environment of spring in Sicily — a time when everything awakens and grows. The entire process thus naturally came together as a unified whole.

For me, however, the most important aspect was creating a new inner space and accumulating energy. A significant moment was also the joint selection of a piece with Matěj, which I perceive as a manifestation of our collaboration and the connection of our energies in the drawing “Reborn”.

I see it as a manifestation of renewal at one’s own pace and as a reminder that each of us carries within the ability to undergo transformation and be reborn, just as nature lives in cycles.

Casa Asmara is an absolutely beautiful place, where I strongly sense its own character, yet it resonates with the overall Sicilian environment, giving the feeling that everything exists outside of time, at its own rhythm. The house hides many interesting details and ways for one to live with it — it feels very personal and authentic.