Born to Gallop – Trained to Carry :: 2025

Acrylic on canvas
50×60 cm
Amir Taba

The “Born to Gallop, Trained to Carry” series is about the gap between who we hope to become and what we end up being shaped into—by others, by systems, or by ourselves. Someone who wanted to become a horse—strong, graceful, admired—but, along the way, became something else: a pack horse, donkey, a fool, or simply someone carrying the weight of other people’s expectations. The costume, ears, and expression all speak to that strange mix of pride, disappointment, and quiet endurance. This piece is part of a continuing reflection in my work on how identity can be shaped or misshaped and how, sometimes, even our dreams can take on a tragic or absurd shape when filtered through the world around us.