Patricia Luna Art
Agony
Intense pain of mind or body.
Extreme physical or mental pain.
This series confronts the rawest parts of being human, the kind of pain that consumes both mind and body. Each self-portrait is a reflection of survival, giving form to emotions too heavy to hold inside. Through creating, I found a way to face the ache, to transform anguish into something tangible, honest, and ultimately, healing.
Self-Portrait: Agony, 2013
36"x48"
This piece was born from one of the darkest moments in my life, when the weight of sorrow felt unbearable and I longed for release. This figure, with blood flowing from its heart, became my way of giving form to what I could no longer contain. Creating it was how I processed the pain, how I began to understand it and move through it.
As difficult as it is to face, I love this piece deeply. It holds the hardest part of me, the breaking, the bleeding, and the quiet strength that followed. It reminds me that even through the deepest agony, there can be transformation. I am still here because I found a way to turn pain into art.
Self-Portrait: Infertility, 2024
36" x 48"
This piece lived in my notebook for over a year, and even longer in my mind, before I could bring myself to make it real. I knew it belonged here, in Agony, but moving it from thought to form meant confronting a grief I was still inside of. Creating it was a way to begin healing from that chapter of my life.
She is here, in all her beauty and all her sorrow. The empty space represents the part of me that will never be, the loss of something I never had, and my heart aches. I cried many times as I worked through it. I will continue to process, always processing.
Self-Portrait: Blooming Through the Breaking, Fighting to Stay Whole, 2026
36" x 36"
This piece reflects what it feels like to be pulled in many directions at once, emotionally stretched thin, trying not to come apart. Each color holds a part of me: passion, joy, sadness, protection, growth. The yellow is small; a reflection of how my joy has been diminishing by life's demands and struggles.
Needing to find a way to keep myself together, the green one is largest, representing growth. Recognizing my need to hold myself together, I began planting seeds within the darkest parts of myself. Surrounding myself with supportive people and creating space for my own healing and growth, I am learning to stay grounded. I am setting roots so deep that the blooms become a source of strength, holding me together as I fight each day to stay whole.