This artwork portrays one of the many areas within the Otay Valley Regional Park in South San Diego, a site marked by countless deaths and lingering histories. Titled “Shadows of the Past," the piece belongs to a larger painting series called “Refractions of Silence. ” In this work, the artist seeks to capture the ambiance and atmosphere of the space by covering the image with a deep violet tint that evokes feelings of eeriness, mystery, and foreboding.

At the center of the composition stands a solitary cactus—tall, still, and seemingly forgotten—serving as a silent witness to the echoes of the past and casting a menacing shadow on the wall in the shape of a cross. The wall, covered with thought-provoking and ironic graffiti phrases that encourage viewers to reflect on the events that transpired and their connection to human presence. In this way, the landscape transforms into a quiet threshold where only loss, grief, and memories remain.