This happens so often, yet it never ceases to amaze me: a painting begins to speak to me in a language I can understand. The direction of this piece became clear as I reflected on the text embedded in its collage elements. These fragments were taken from a French newspaper I subscribed to during the COVID-19 pandemic, and naturally, much of the text revolved around themes of the pandemic and its impact. Coincidentally, I had also transferred a photograph of billboard posters I captured in Berlin during a stay in December 2023. One of the posters expressed environmental concerns, adding another layer of meaning. Together, the text and imagery began to circle around various man-made threats to our societies and humanity.
 
The painting's creation coincided with the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Baku and the news of Donald Trump re-entering the global stage—a context that subtly influenced its mood and message.
 
In the same serendipitous way, the title revealed itself to me: “Le Temps Perdu”—inspired by Marcel Proust’s renowned work, À la Recherche du Temps Perdu (In Search of Lost Time). Proust sought to capture the inner experience of time slipping away, a life in flux, constantly transforming as the years pass. Yet, he also wrote of rare, privileged moments that bring profound insight: “When life feels like one big crisis, moments come that make you feel that everything is worth it, that life is good to live.” These moments, and the cherished memories they create, stand as treasures—worth enduring life’s challenges to experience.
 
(As I have not yet read Proust’s work myself, I must credit Wikipedia for helping me shape the final paragraph.)