Leila Derguti

Carine Senior High School

Year 9

Acrylic

23 × 30cm

I found a reference photo of a woman that really caught my eye, her face, her expression, and the way the light hit her. I’ve always enjoyed drawing other people as it makes me feel warm and gain a deep love for my artworks as they reflect the lives of others who I may or may not always know.  The original photograph might have had different cultural elements, but as I painted I felt myself drawn to the vibrant Romanian/Balkan folk style of her embroidered head scarf, so I leaned into that because it felt richer and more connected to the kind of traditional European heritage I relate to as someone from the Balkans.