Self-Portrait with a Magpie was created in 2026 as an allegorical image. The magpie acts as a symbolic double, reflecting curiosity, alertness and an attraction to fragments, light and hidden meaning. I was interested in the relationship between the figure and the bird, not as a narrative scene but as a psychological mirror. The magpie becomes both observer and extension of the self.
The work explores duality and perception, the visible and the concealed, the rational and the intuitive. Rather than focusing only on likeness, I wanted the portrait to suggest inner tension and heightened awareness.