The Stool in the Dark
In his story, César was eleven when his father closed the workshop one Friday and didn't come back on Monday. He'd left with a woman from Ipoh and left behind three things: the tools, a gold bar, and a three-word note. César didn't cry. He went down to the workshop, sat on his father's stool, and stared until it got dark. The calm face I created facing forward carries that day inside it, even though on the print you only see the stillness.







