Tropical samurai

Oil on canvas depicting a self-portrait of the artist, represented as a samurai in a Caribbean landscape. The central figure, dressed in traditional Japanese attire, is set against a natural backdrop evoking the tropics: calm sea, tall palms, and a clear sky.
The contrast between the figure and the landscape introduces a tension between identity and environment. The artist, living in a country not his own, appears as an observer seeking to integrate without losing himself. The choice of the samurai is not literal, but symbolic—suggesting discipline, belonging, and resilience in the face of change.
The work alludes to the process of adaptation without resorting to dramatization. The character’s face conveys no explicit conflict, only a contained presence. The composition balances figure and background, tradition and place, without forcing harmony.
Rather than a narrative scene, the painting serves as a reflection on one’s position when the place of origin is no longer the same, and the destination is not yet fully defined.
 
180 x 180 cm
oil on canvas
2025