Breaking Free
Kaitlyn F.
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My artwork deals with inner emotions and self-reflection. Creating art that expresses how I am truly feeling on the inside helps me understand that part of being a human is having natural reactions to things going on, whether that be mentally or stuff circulating in the world. That's why the story of my ceramic box is about growth. The pandemic has hit hard for everyone and caused many to reflect and start to learn about themselves. It has been tough spending my teenage years in quarantine, not being able to see friends and experience normal high school life. That being said while quarantining, I took advantage of all that time to zone in on me and see what ways can I improve to give people the best version of myself. Throughout the many months of the pandemic, I have seen myself start to mature and grow up, but also leave room for error because no one is perfect.
This piece represents the different stages of growth as a person. Upon first sight, you see a box that resembles human-like features with feet, a hand which is the handle, and a hanging brain on the inside. However, the brain is being caged by what is resembling jail bars. My reasoning for this was to show how I felt like a prisoner to my own self. I attached the brain with a fishing line to the inside of the box, so once you lift up the hand that appears to be reaching for help, the brain comes out along with it to show how change and freeing yourself is possible. On one face of the box, I decided to use koi fish that are swimming around one another to replicate the idea that there will always be good and bad times because life is a cycle. Half of the koi fish is three-dimensional to give the effect of going underwater and then back up above the water. On another face, I displayed the eight different moon phases which show that growth is a gradual thing that occurs, not something that comes immediately. On the last face of my box is the chemical compound for serotonin. The reason I included this detail is that it ties back to the brain and intestines. It is the neurotransmitter that relays signals from one side of the brain to the other. It is a mood stabilizer and is sometimes referred to as the “happy chemical” as it promotes well-being and happiness.
I feel as though each side of my box represents a different step in my journey of self-growth and development. One phase is not more important than another, but they all come together to reveal my story and my journey through the pandemic battling the loneliness and unknowing while also learning that it's okay to take time for myself. And that is why I decided to name my project "Breaking Free".
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To me, creativity is reaching within yourself and being able to express or portray a feeling in a unique way that causes others to ponder and question what they are looking at.
