Cosmically Small

This painting is a contemporary vanitas, framed within an MRI scan to reflect on the fleeting nature of life and the quiet boundary between body and spirit. A self-portrait spliced with a skull floats against a starry backdrop, suggesting that life and death exist not in opposition but in continuity—an idea rooted in South Asian philosophies of samsara and rebirth. The scan’s numbers are birthdays of loved ones, grounding impermanence in connection. Closed eyes and a calm expression convey acceptance, while the skull and face together gaze at the cosmos, echoing the belief that the soul moves beyond the body. Like starlight arriving long after its source has gone, the influence of a life lingers.