I approached this piece as a practice of meditation. I wanted to represent that, despite any surrounding chaos, a wise and compassionate perspective on human processes and transformations is necessary. To enrich this message, I decided to execute the entire work exclusively using my analog ink pointillism technique (I used no lines, only dots). This choice ensures that both the technique and the symbolism contribute to a profound meditative experience.

My inspiration was drawn from the knowledge and practice of Zen meditation, as well as David Lynch’s commentary on Transcendental Meditation. I created two illusions: first, a Zen monk in the roots of the tree, and second, Lynch’s face, used as a compositional anchor for the entire piece, which is detailed in the images below.

From those elements, I wrote this conceptual framework for the illustration:

The meditator observes how storms invade the island where he is trapped, surrounded by violence and uncertainty. Yet he pauses to meditate, to truly see, confront, and acknowledge these cosmic forces without identifying himself with them. With patience, he slowly nurtures a growing tree whose branches bear his face. This symbolizes the long and organic time required for a new structure of the self, and the study of the mind and the unconscious for the dissolution of illusions that clears the path. As the image of pain is transcended, the island reveals its true nature: it is not an island, but vast grounding soil. He has used the very image of his fears as a mirror, rooting himself to the ground. From this foundation, his new shelter quietly begins to rise.