This mural was created during my first year in the UK, when I was experiencing racism, bullying, and balancing long working hours alongside my studies. Painting became a way of expressing and processing everything I was going through.

The figures surrounding the blue character represent the people and moments that shaped that period. The blue figure at the centre represents me, still smiling, still working, and still trying to grow despite everything happening around me.

I later titled this work The Ego because, looking back, I realised I chose silence. I listened, endured, and kept moving forward without responding. At the time, I believed staying quiet was the right thing to do, but I now understand that silence can also be a form of ego. This painting reminds me of everything I carried without saying a word.

Before studying Fine Art, murals were my primary way of making work because I believed art was temporary and should eventually disappear. While creating this mural, I realised I wanted to make something that could exist beyond a wall. That realisation led me to shift my practice from murals to canvas.

Created using acrylic paint and soft pastels, The Ego combines bold colour, expressive marks, and layered surfaces to reflect the intensity of that period.

This work became a turning point in my journey, leading to paintings such as Brahma, Vishnu & Mahesh and later Samudra Manthan, where I began developing the visual language of red and blue that continues throughout my practice today. Looking back, The Ego marks the beginning of my journey towards creating paintings that are both deeply personal and permanent.