For this work, as well as for works I created shortly before, I applied most of the paint with my hands. There's something very special, intimate about the direct contact between skin, paint, and canvas; the immediacy with which a gesture becomes a form. After sketching the first lines and shapes with a brush, I felt somewhat stuck. When I used my hands again, the work began to unfold, almost as if it was coming together on its own.

As I was searching for a title, I remembered a quote by Jackson Pollock: "Painting is a state of being. Every good artist paints who they are." Hello, Self-Portrait in Red!

Because of the physical pressure I applied with my hands, the stretcher bars became slightly visible. I considered correcting it, but then realized it’s part of what defines this work. It belongs to the piece, and to the process.