Tibeteen

About the painting

We met when I was young. Alone in Lancaster, I would roam the streets of the town centre and stare at people's faces. Hers was the most radiant and most fascinating. At first I thought she was a tourist, but I saw her again and again.

One evening I saw her in an old pub, she wasn't alone, I was too young and lacked the courage to approach her, let alone have a meaningful conversation with her. In my head, I stood no chance. How could I when I didn't even know what I wanted from this beautiful creature! would she be a friend, a girlfriend...a companion.

That evening I gathered my strength and walked up to her as she was leaving and asked if she'd stay for another 10 minutes. The rejection came faster than the question. Picked my ego and walked back to the bar.

Weeks went by and I saw her again on New Year's eve 1999, somewhere by the river walking with her friend. She saw me and invited me for a sip of a disgusting sparkling wine. Nothing ever tasted as good as that bottle, her lips had just touched the bottle.

She thought I was Spanish, I told her about Sousse and Béja, about Berbers and she told me about Tibet. As we walked back to the town centre, there was a little ally, she grabbed my hand and we run. We kissed...

Tibeteen passed away a year later and I never met anyone from Tibet again.

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Measurements: 100x85cm

Private Collection

Why it was painted

During the twilight years of my previous marriage, things started to look very confusing in my head. All that violence and all that chaos, I needed to go back to a time when I had serenity, peace and guidance. I needed to find Tibeteen again. I sat in front of a blank canvas one morning and only left the studio a day later. With every brush stroke I felt I was about to faint. Fear and a sense of responsibility helped me finish this painting.

It sat there for years, before I finally shared it with people.