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.

Interested in acquiring this artwork?

This original artwork is currently available for acquisition.

For availability, pricing, shipping, or additional photographs, please contact:

📧 bioinspirada@gmail.com

🌿 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.