The Journey of a Wanderer

This painting was created by Mari Stoel in 2007. That year, he was 29 years old. His close friend and former classmate, Pascal van der Graaf, won the Dutch Royal Award for Modern Painting, reaching a milestone in his artistic career. And STOEL? He found himself adrift in Amsterdam—no awards, no clear direction, uncertain whether he was even on the right path. He felt like an outsider, disconnected from his past, unsure of his future. Yet, he chose to keep moving forward—just like Siddhartha in The Journey to the East, who abandoned a comfortable life in pursuit of truth. Siddhartha sought wisdom through study, asceticism, indulgence, and exile, only to realize that true understanding comes not from external teachings, but through personal experience. Mari Stoel was no different. He could not achieve success overnight, nor could he find himself through the validation of others. The only thing he could do was paint—again and again—letting his hands and spirit carve out his own path. That day, he walked through the same park he passed through daily. The scorching sun pressed down on him. The buildings and stone paths shimmered in the heat, as if everything around him was shifting, uncertain. But deep inside, he knew one thing: the only way forward was to keep going. And so, he captured this moment—a lone figure walking, much like Siddhartha, still on his journey, not yet at his destination. But with every step, he came closer to the true self.