H O M E
The Marks of Growth
Artist Senay Ramada
The Marks of Growth is a deeply emotional and symbolic work that explores the process of inner growth—painful, destructive, yet inseparably tied to transformation and strength.
The central figure is shown from behind, its body marked by visible wounds, cracks, and scars. These marks are not portrayed as weakness, but as evidence of lived experience. They are the “marks of growth”—traces left by pain, loss, and inner struggle that shape a person’s identity.
The head is filled with an intense red form, resembling a flower, a wound, or a blossoming heart. It symbolizes consciousness and the emotional core, where pain is transformed into awareness and trauma becomes a source of new life. Thoughts here are not words, but raw emotions—pulsing and seeking expression.
Golden branches with leaves grow outward from the body, serving as a clear symbol of growth, healing, and hope. They do not emerge despite the wounds, but because of them. The gold color emphasizes the value of experience: suffering is not meaningless, but becomes the foundation of inner richness and strength.
The dark background and the birds in flight evoke a sense of transition—between past and future, between holding on and letting go. The red drapery around the figure suggests both protection and vulnerability, capturing the moment when a person stands exposed yet ready to move forward.
The Marks of Growth is a visual narrative affirming that true growth is never clean or painless. It leaves traces. And it is precisely these traces that prove we have survived, transformed, and become something deeper and stronger.
Senay Ramada 