Jean

This reflects the destruction of childhood dreams inspired by Mexican Ofrendas. Instead of honoring life, it presents a somber vision of lost aspirations. The hollow-eyed clay skull symbolises fading childhood hopes, while withered sunflowers mark their end of youthful dreams. The deep black room carries a lifeless atmosphere of abandonment, which was once filled with warmth and memories, suggesting the vibrancy of childhood has been swallowed by the encroaching shadows of time.

This artwork explores the ephemeral nature of our early years. The teddy bear's skull acts as a symbol of our youthful wishes being broken. The distorted clock symbolises the uncontrollable passage of time, emphasising that time always moves forward and as it passes the distance between us and our dreams may grow. The butterflies show the metamorphosis into adulthood. Their flight signifies the impermanence of our early years, and how easily we get distracted as time progresses.

Chase explores the painful pursuit of the unattainable. The child climbing upward symbolises untainted aspiration, the relentless human drive to reach beyond limitations. The child represents the purity of ambition, the raw, instinctive urge to grasp something just out of reach. Her ascent evokes the struggles we all face, the moments of both hope and frustration in the pursuit of our dreams. Time pressures our ambitions, dictating urgency, loss, and limitation.

Infinity Trap explores the experience of being trapped within an endless space, a suffocating loop where time and direction dissolve into uncertainty. The hands symbolise silent desperation, grasping for an escape that doesn’t exist. The morse code message, “Get me out of here” reflects this agony, its beeps amplifying distress. As the sound goes through the void, the inescapable cycle of fear and helplessness amplifies.

Fight or Flight explores the paradox of destruction - the moment when something shatters yet in break, something new is set free. The composition begins with a rupture in the canvas’s corner, drawing the viewer from a cold void into a realm of possibility. From this fracture, an explosion of vibrant butterflies emerges, symbolising transformation and the unexpected opportunities that arise from loss.

The vibrant ellipses resemble musical notes piercing the black silence, yet their chaotic arrangement reflects the dissonance of a mind overwhelmed by a competitive life. In a world that demands constant perfection, thoughts collide, scatter, and struggle to harmonise. Like fireflies flashing in forced unison, individuality is lost in the pressure to conform. This piece captures the psychological toll of growing up in a relentless, high-stakes society.

NO-WAY-OUT explores the oppressive force of pressure, trapping individuals like caged animals in confinement. The confining box symbolises societal expectations that restrict growth, while the skeletal, animalistic masks symbolise the loss of identity, hiding one's shame and failure beneath. The figure’s struggle reflects how ambition withers under relentless scrutiny, reflecting creatures pacing in captivity, stripped of their freedom.

‘JUMP!’ explores the idea of hope through three stages: desire, instability and recovery. In the first panel, a girl pulls a string with tension to symbolise the drive to move forward and reach beyond her limits. The second panel presents the girl tethering between control and collapse to suggest the fragile balance we struggle to maintain in times of stress. In the final panel, she has fallen, yet her grip remains firm. Even in the fall, there is the possibility of rising again.

This piece explores the weight of surrender, the chains and rope binding the hands symbolise restraint, a struggle against forces too powerful to escape. The hands do not resist; instead, they rest in quiet resignation, embodying the moment when hope slips away. The black butterfly, fragile yet fleeting, represents lost dreams, its presence highlights the confinement. The fingertips whisper a farewell in braille, a final message for those who choose to feel rather than see.

This piece explores escapism, the fragile divide between reality and dreams. The figure hesitates at the threshold, fear and self-doubt anchoring her in place, yet the flying fish, symbols of longing and ambition, beckon her forward. The tunnel distorts, a liminal space where reality unravels into an unknown dreamscape. Ethereal doodles and swirling forms embody fleeting thoughts and suppressed desires, a chaotic yet mesmerising reflection of the mind's yearning for freedom.