12/30/2025
Title: QOH.mmam
Artist: Faith Manuel
Medium: Mixed Media (photography and painting)
Year: 2025
QOH:mmam is the center point of my Reflections series. Inspired by Made Me a Man by Jackson Wang, this piece is rooted in the song’s melancholy yet quietly optimistic tone, with a strong focus on its lyrics.
This painting represents a turning point; a moment of looking back at the journey I’ve taken mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It holds the realization that the past is the past, and that growth does not happen in spite of it, but because of it. Every experience, every version of myself, was necessary to arrive here.
While working on this piece, I remember showing it to my mom and breaking down in tears. Not out of sadness, but out of release. For the first time, I felt that I was laying my vulnerability onto the canvas without hesitation; allowing reflection, honesty, and acceptance to exist all at once.
QOH:mmam is about recognizing growth, honoring the journey, and allowing yourself to move forward with clarity and grace.
I’ll probably say this every time I share a piece from this series…thank you. MAGICMAN 2 became the glue that connected pieces I didn’t realize were missing, and gave me the confidence to lay everything out on the table.