Acrylic painting on a suitcase exploring transformation, travel, and our connection with the ocean.

Year

2025

Medium

Acrylic on hard-shell suitcase

Dimensions (artwork)

31 × 45 cm (12.2 × 17.7 in)

Suitcase dimensions

50 × 37 × 19 cm (19.7 × 14.6 × 7.5 in)

Brand

XD Design suitcase

Status

Available

The Traveling Octopus began with an ordinary suitcase that no longer reflected who I was. I have never been particularly drawn to carrying objects covered in logos, and whenever possible, I prefer to transform everyday items into something unique.

The suitcase’s smooth shell felt like a blank canvas. By then, I had already started experimenting with colored backgrounds instead of white ones, so I painted layers of blues, purples and warm ochres across its surface. Its tall proportions naturally suggested a vertical composition, leading me to choose an octopus whose tentacles could flow across the front, sides and top of the suitcase.

I began painting the octopus during a painting session with a dear friend, then continued refining the piece over the following weeks. What had once been an everyday travel object gradually became a work of art.

When I later moved permanently from the Netherlands back to Colombia, the painted suitcase crossed the Atlantic with me. That journey inspired its name: The Traveling Octopus. Today, it reminds me that the objects we carry can also carry our stories, changing with us as we move through different places and stages of life.

🌿 Nature Inspiration

Octopuses are remarkable explorers. Their flexible bodies allow them to move through narrow spaces, adapt to changing environments, and interact with the world through curiosity and problem-solving. Their intelligence and adaptability have made them symbols of resilience and discovery.

Painting an octopus on a suitcase transformed it into more than a travel object. It became a companion for new journeys, carrying not only belongings but also a reminder that exploration is as much about curiosity and transformation as it is about reaching new places.

The Traveling Octopus, an acrylic painting on a suitcase photographed on Scheveningen Beach in the Netherlands. — *The Traveling Octopus photographed on Scheveningen Beach, where the North Sea became part of its story.*

Acrylic-painted suitcase featuring a colorful octopus with the Scheveningen lighthouse in the background. — The completed artwork beside the North Sea.

Beginning the acrylic painting process on the suitcase. — The first stages of transforming an ordinary suitcase into a work of art.

Continuing to paint The Traveling Octopus. — Building color, movement and composition across the suitcase.

Front view of The Traveling Octopus painted on a hard-shell suitcase. — Front view of the completed artwork.

Close-up showing the acrylic texture and brushwork of The Traveling Octopus. — Close-up revealing the texture and layered brushstrokes.

Side view showing how the octopus wraps around the suitcase. — The octopus extends beyond the front, embracing the entire suitcase.

Elsa Quicazán and a dear friend painting The Traveling Octopus during its development — *Painting alongside a dear friend during one of the early stages of developing* **The Traveling Octopus**.

The Traveling Octopus accompanying me on a train journey through the Netherlands.