The Graduate — A Self-Portrait

There are moments in life that deserve to be remembered — not just in photographs, but in something made by hand. This is one of them. Before Simon Designs, before the graphics, there was always a pencil. Art was my first language. But university demanded sacrifice, and for a season, I set the pencils down to pour myself into my studies — pursuing a Bachelor's Degree in Economics and Statistics at the University of Embu. It was not easy. The years required discipline, focus, and resilience. But in 2023, I crossed the finish line — mortarboard on my head, gown on my shoulders, and a smile that could only come from someone who had truly earned it. When it was time to pick up the pencil again, there was only one subject worthy of that comeback moment: myself. I spent four focused days on A3 paper rendering my own graduation portrait entirely in graphite, completing it on Tuesday, 18th March 2025. Every stroke was both a technical exercise and an emotional one — a celebration of the hard years, the late nights, the sacrifices, and ultimately, the victory. This self-portrait is more than a drawing. It is my declaration that the artist never left — he was simply studying. And now, I'm back.