On November 29, 2025, I received in Venice the Poseidon International Prize – The King of Laguna, awarded by the Fondazione Effetto Arte, at the Scuola Grande di San Teodoro. It was an important moment for me, not only because of the recognition itself, but because of everything it represents after so many years of work.

In recent years, my path as a contemporary artist has been closely linked to telling real stories: identity, migration, resilience, and memory. For me, aesthetics are important, but only when they are joined to meaning, emotion, and story. Projects such as Female Portraits: A Look at the Past and Female Portraits: Migrants were born from this vision, and today some of these works are part of private collections.

But for me, the greatest rewards come when a collector or an art lover wants to acquire one of my pieces for their collection, or when I receive messages from people who have visited my exhibitions and tell me that my work has touched their hearts.

My next project, now in production, “Portraits of the Soul: Transfiguration,” follows that same path. I hope it will touch many hearts, as it focuses on universal themes, where real stories of faith and love will be told visually from a contemporary artistic perspective. At the same time, I hope to finish my first book later this year as well.

This prize in Venice has reminded me that it is worth believing in ourselves, and that we must use our gifts to uplift, encourage, and inspire others, whether in a spiritual, emotional, or introspective way. Sometimes, our biggest limitations exist only in our own minds.