Riding the Memory Loop is a visually stunning piece about leaving home and returning, yet things are not quite the same. Buildings have changed, people have moved on, and it's as if you've returned to an unfamiliar place. You've returned home, but it feels as though everyone and everything has moved on without you and you're stuck on a never-ending carousel that will never stop spinning. Aslan Petkov beautifully captures the feeling of returning home and being stuck in time, while everyone else has moved forward and moved on. 

Petkov left their home in the United Kingdom during the summer of 2022 and since returning, Newcastle hasn't felt quite the same since. This painting encapsulates this complex feeling through the use of vibrant colours, alongside masterful techniques and the use of modelling paste and a gold leaf finish.