(Sad) Romance

Love is one of the most powerful forces we experience and yet, it’s not always enough to keep two people together. (Sad) Romance was painted during a time of heartbreak, when I was confronting the painful reality that even when there is deep love, relationships can become heavy, complicated, and fragile.

This painting is about the complexity of relationships, the way love can feel like both a sanctuary and a struggle. It reflects my own disbelief in accepting that sometimes, despite love’s strength, things don’t work out. (Sad) Romance holds both tenderness and ache, a reminder of how fragile the human heart can be, and how much courage it takes to love deeply.

The scene is intimate and melancholic: a candle flickers on a pink-draped table, wine glasses are half-full, petals are scattered, and a note titled “I'll always love you” lingers with unspoken words. The brick wall and heavy greenery frame the setting like a stage for love’s most difficult conversations.

✨ This painting was created in collaboration with CultureCulture Amsterdam as part of a series of three paintings. Each piece tells its own story, but together, they explore the spectrum of human experience: empowerment, joy, and heartbreak.