The Way We See the World
I believe that the way we see the world has a lot to do with who we are. Two people can watch the same sunset, stand in front of the same landscape, or look at the same face, yet experience completely different things. One person may see beauty in a sunset, another may feel sadness, and someone else may simply watch the colors disappear without thinking much about it. What we observe is not always separate from what we carry inside ourselves. Our memories, experiences, fears, and hopes quietly influence the way we understand everything around us. Perhaps this is one of the reasons I enjoy painting portraits. A face is more than a collection of physical features; it can become a place where different experiences and ways of seeing the world meet.
The Language of Colors
Colors have their own way of expressing what words sometimes cannot. I am particularly drawn to yellow and blue. Yellow can remind me of light, warmth, energy, or even a kind of restlessness, while blue can carry silence, distance, sadness, or a feeling of being lost in thought. But I don't believe colors have fixed meanings. Their impact depends on the person looking at them, the colors surrounding them, and the emotions they awaken. In painting, I enjoy exploring these possibilities and allowing colors to express something beyond the literal appearance of a face.
A Reflection on Life
Perhaps life is also like looking at a painting. We often believe that what we see is the whole truth, while we are actually seeing only one part of it through our own experiences. We judge people by their expressions, their words, or the parts of themselves they allow us to see, forgetting how much remains hidden beneath the surface. Every person carries a world that we may never fully understand. I think painting reminds me of this limitation. It allows me to look more carefully, to question my first impressions, and to accept that there is always something beyond what is immediately visible. Maybe understanding life begins when we realize that seeing something and truly understanding it are not the same thing.
I made this painting with charcoal and acrylic paint. Size 20 x 25 cm.
Sincerely, Hossein Rishehri
Thank you for your support.