“If my story were to be told from beginning to end, it would captivate them all.”

Henri Matisse

What is the reason that Matisse’s painting captivates us today? What truth connects us to his work and what is our emotional affinity today? Looking at Matisse's works, it is almost impossible to articulate how and why his art fills us with emotions.

Is it perhaps the balance of colors that satisfies basic strings of our own balance in the world? Is it the design, simple yet essential, that reminds us of our own existence? Is it the manner of drawing and the brushstrokes, often abrupt and nervous, that bring us nostalgic memories?

Perhaps these sudden brushstrokes remind us of the sudden end of life. And ultimately, what is the meaning of painting and of life itself? Perhaps it is simply our presence in the world, the morning awakening in a room bathed in light, our breakfast, the fruits on the plate and the presence of an apple, the presence of the painting itself that brings us to the forefront.

And the painted images penetrate thoughts, ourselves, and logic, and demonstrate our presence in the world.