Ten years ago, during my graduate studies in theology at the University of Toronto, I found myself in deep conversation with a group of theologians, grappling with the question, “What is love?” That night marked the beginning of my journey in search of the truth of love — a search that has spanned a decade. Over these years, I have come to appreciate both the profound complexity and the beautiful simplicity of love.
While my journey began with theology, I have since turned to the poets in the hope of gaining a fuller understanding of love. After all, love is not just something we study — it is primarily something we experience. I wanted to grasp it through both sapere (intellectual understanding through study) and conoscere (personal, lived experience, often expressed through poetry) – two different ways of knowing.
This shift led me to Dante Alighieri. His poem, the Divine Comedy, rooted in his devotion to Beatrice, is a rich expression of love. Dante, whose love inspired one of the greatest works of Western literature, became my guide on this journey.
I chose the topic of love for this major artistic project because, at the end of our lives, the question that stays with us is, "Whom did I love, and how did I love them?" Instead of waiting until my last moments to reflect on love, I’ve chosen to explore love now — to share what I’ve learned and experienced, and to live more fully in its light today.