I Loved You (Kovalam – Kerala) is a self-portrait photograph (25.4 x 18.7 cm.) on archival paper that conveys the artist’s intimate moment, exploring the contrast between presence and absence. The interplay between the two figures—one passive, the other active—not only heightens a sense of unease but also illuminates the power dynamics of passion and vulnerability. I Loved You, which is part of the artwork’s title, evokes a love that once was, now confined to memory. This visual distinction is emphasised—one figure remains almost whole, while the other is merely a detail, suggesting themes of separation, yearning, and perhaps even farewell.

I Loved You (Kovalam – Kerala) is part of Baptist Coelho’s ongoing multimedia series, Kovalam – Kerala, which reflects on the artist’s emotional journey through an intimate narrative of a past relationship. The series resonates with the ideas of Gaston Bachelard (1884–1962), a French philosopher and phenomenologist, particularly his book ‘The Poetics of Space’ (1958), which explores how imagination, memory, and the intimacy of space create emotional resonance.