WYN (Portrait of the Artist as a Young Boy)

Lynyrd Arwyn Paras mixes his vibrant hues, colorful letters, iconic corneal reflections with trompe-l'oeil paint daubs and paper cut-out images to show us his younger self, Wyn. Wyn is the artist's nickname from his childhood years. The painting explores the sense of belonging and the concept of home. His younger days were filled with dreams of owning his own home, putting food on the table, and having material belongings. As the artist got older, he realizes that peace, stability and loving relationships are more important in building our dream home. The accompanying customized toy sculpture of Wyn also reveals this transformation and emerges from darkness, reforming into prisms of color and brightness. Wyn peers through his adorably round eyes at the image of an inverted toy house. It represents the colorful rainbow that emerges from Wyn's heart, allowing him to find his happy and complete self, in the same way we as viewers, use our inner hearts to discover where we truly belong and where our real home lies.