What was once cocooned in shadow, folded tightly in secrecy, has opened itself to the world. My petals are red, flushed with life, and they sway softly in the air as if whispering their own quiet encouragement: keep climbing, keep reaching.
This piece is about the moment of arrival the vulnerability of being seen, and the joy of no longer holding yourself back. To bloom is to risk, to sway in the open where winds can touch you, but it is also to dance, to blush, to shine.
I painted this work as a celebration of emergence, of the courage it takes to step into visibility. The red petals are not just flowers; they are signals of vitality, of passion, of the undeniable truth that growth cannot be contained forever.
There is a tenderness in this unveiling, but also a strength. The bloom does not apologize for its brightness. It simply sways, climbs, and whispers to anyone watching: you too can rise, you too can unfold.
Esther Akello 
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