vulnerability & Validation
2024
6.25" x 9.5"
pencil on paper, Gouache,
In moments of vulnerability, we are not always searching for solutions, sometimes we are looking for validation. Just reassurance that what we are thinking and feeling is not wrong. The positions of the subjects demonstrate comfort. The one in the blue does not need to see the other’s face, they do not need to know everything to provide comfort. They rest their head against the other’s back in a way that symbolizes listening to another’s heart.
Meanwhile, the passage of koi represents the difficult thoughts and emotions we must confront, before letting go. The background is inspired by kintsugi, a Japanese art that uses gold to emphasize the cracks on broken pottery. I felt this concept could apply to people as well, where instead of a polished front, we embrace our flawed, fragmented selves which are broken but still beautiful.
Art style inspired by the detailed work of Sibylline Meynet.