this painting is of a long-distance lover, hence the suitcase. i had woken up to my lover’s arms tightly and lovingly wound around mine. we always slept intertwined in one way or the other. the dish within the suitcase was my grandmother’s, i found it when i moved into her apartment, it has the spanish version of Job 22:28-30 printed on it. loving someone who is not near is a longing unparalleled, and so the dish was not only a prayer for presence, but a prayer for longevity as well.