Perennity (2026) Original Acrylic Painting by paul fowler

Perennity began with my interest in what happens when a person loses connection with the person they once understood themselves to be.

We tend to think of resilience as overcoming difficulty and returning to normal. I became interested in something different. Experiences change us. Love, relationships, success, discovery and moments of joy shape us just as surely as failure, grief, doubt and disappointment. Over time, all of these experiences accumulate, and we don't simply return to who we were before them.
While developing this painting, I kept returning to one idea: the deepest longing is not for success, but to recognize ourselves again.

That thought shaped the work. Forms become separated and reconnect. Earlier marks are covered but not completely erased. Different layers remain visible at the same time, much as our earlier experiences remain part of who we become.

The title Perennity refers to the quality of enduring through time. For me, the painting is about persistence—not returning to an earlier version of ourselves, but recognizing that something essential can remain even as we continue to change.

It asks a question that became increasingly important to me while making it: How much can we change and still recognize ourselves, and what allows us to find that connection again?

Materials used:

Acrylic paint, cold wax medium, canvas, wood

Details:

• Acrylic painting on Canvas
• One of a kind artwork
• Size: 81.28 x 45.72 x 3.81cm (unframed) / 81.28 x 45.72cm (actual image size)
• Ready to hang
• Signed on the back
• Style: Organic
• Subject: Abstract and non-figurative