The Goldfinch

An illustration created in response to the ongoing environmental crisis in Nartë, Vlorë, where protected wetlands, home to over 200 bird species, have been handed to private developers including Jared Kushner, stripping Albania's natural heritage in the name of profit.
—
According to folk tradition, a Goldfinch flew down to Christ to remove the thorns from His crown during the Crucifixion. As a result, a drop of His blood fell upon the bird, forever staining its beak and feathers red.

The goldfinch feeds on the seeds of the thistle. It is undeterred by the fact that the plant is surrounded on all sides by sharp thorns. It lands directly among them, without a second thought for the pain they may cause. As the courageous bird that it is, it knows that among the thorns, amidst suffering and sacrifice, lies something precious: the seed — a symbol of life, continuity, and all that flourishes upon the earth.

And that seed belongs only to those who dare to approach it, to those who endure the wounds of the thorns and shed their own blood over the thorns.