I lost my past
I lost my future
The present…?
Legs in flames, arms in flames
Pain choking my breath
It embraces me like it cares
But there is no spine to hold up my will
— Kamila Waleszkiewicz

The large figurative oil painting (91 x 150 cm) became a deeply personal and therapeutic work. Initially inspired by the Susanna and the Elders motif, the painting evolved into an autobiographical response to my own spinal surgery, chronic pain, and emotional journey. The human body, in this work, is treated as a repository of trauma, resilience, and knowledge. 

In the Embraced, the women’s bodies are fragmented, their faces blurred. It is a self-portrait, not in a literal sense, but as an emotional and physical translation of pain. The figures are naked, yet not positioned for admiration. They exist in a state of truth and rawness, without makeup, clothing, or societal filters. Their vulnerability is a temporary weakness, transformed into strength.