evidence of joy.

when the party is over and most guests have come and gone, all that is left is clutter to be organized. One may experience a subtle whim to gather some of the plates and glasses lying around so the environment doesn’t seem much like a mess. Our artist, nonetheless, leaves everything intact for a while because, for her, all this jumble of stuff constitutes as an ensemble a remarkable scenery, and a piece of art itself that serves as proof that a gathering has been successfully joyful.

depuffed and disorganized cushions, plates with still some truffle honey and half-eaten Parmiggiano wedges on porcelain, poppy red lipstick marks on slightly unfinished crystal glasses, the faint light in the lamps left lit, a half-melted, wax-dripping orange blossom candle, and a pair of round gold studs left on the nightstand after a pleasant soirée—these are all elements that embody a sort of fingerprint and convey the very soul of a celebration.

so when a gathering comes to an end, Toti always takes a little time to admire the afterglow, take select pictures, and savor the sense of accomplishment that it awakens in her. Both as a host and a guest, it is truly a triumph for our artist to perceive from a picture of ordinary objects, the blissful spirit relinquished effortlessly in a lovely reunion. Evidence of Joy is an invitation to seek the soul and beauty in the unexpected and the usually ignored situations; the better proof of having had a great celebration. It is mess turned into art.

Isabella Auqué