"What is a “moment”? For me, it’s any long-forgotten memory that sneaks up and makes you smile-like when Google Photos unexpectedly flashes a 2018 selfie on your screen, and suddenly you’re there in that sunlit afternoon, surprised by how vividly it all comes rushing back.

Still, I can’t help but wonder: does our habit of snapping photos change what a moment means? Now, instead of relying on memory, we scroll through endless archives ready to be rediscovered. Maybe we have more smiles at our fingertips than ever before. But I sometimes catch myself thinking, am I living the moment or simply preserving it?

These paintings are all moments in my life, or of people I know, that bring me joy when I look at them. If you find yourself admiring a painting, maybe these painted snapshots will nudge loose a forgotten smile from your own memory vault too."

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