From the Screen to the Studio: Creating 'The Dive'

Gabriela Agundez I Photo by Enrique Rivera

There was something magnetic, almost otherworldly, about her focus. Her face and body radiated a deep, unwavering concentration that drew me in more and more. Then, in an instant—like the crack of a whip—she unleashed raw power, propelling herself through space and dynamically into the water. Little did I know that watching Gabriela Agúndez compete at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics would leave such a mark. Each dive was as memorable as the last, and I knew I was witnessing something extraordinary. By the end of the women's 10-meter final, I felt convinced to paint what I had seen, so I reached out to her.

That’s how we began this journey together. Photographer Enrique Rivera travelled from Mexico City to Guadalajara to capture multiple mid-dive moments. In the end, it came down to one split second, destined for the canvas.

At first, I used charcoal, pens, and markers for the drawing, with acrylic paint (black 3.0) for the background, adding a few splatters of ‘mirror paint’ in certain sections to resemble splash that is driven off her body. The human figure is life-sized and rendered in oil paint. I remember using some iridescent paint and oil glazes from the Pebeo XL line, which are now hard to get in the UK. It took many months to complete, but all our efforts came together to give way to this idea.

Ultimately, this art piece became a bridge connecting Gabriela’s energy from that Olympic moment with my own artistic path. What began as an observation on live TV grew into a vibrant celebration of human determination and grace, showcasing the beauty of a single moment and the value of collaboration between artist and athlete. Just as Gaby soared through the air, this piece now soars in its own right, capturing the essence of that unforgettable effort to dive.