A burst of dark mortarboards and curling orange ribbons hangs in the air against a sky that fades from soft blue to warm cream. Small flecks of navy and amber scatter among the larger caps and give the whole upper half a sense of motion.

At the bottom, a packed crowd in dark gowns reaches upward with open hands and tilted faces. The paint is laid on thick, with visible knife marks and ridges, so the figures read as bold slabs of colour instead of fine detail.