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Critical Hit, 2023
25" X 10" X 11”
Ceramic, Glaze, and  Tattooed Ink


A large-scale ceramic scorpion clings to the gallery wall, its arched tail driven deep into its own back — a self-inflicted wound frozen in the aftermath of attack. Beneath it, the phrase “Critical hit” drips down the wall in bold black ink, underscoring the severity and finality of the moment. Composed of dark glaze with only a stark trace of red, the scorpion bleeds from its own stinger — the sole burst of color in an otherwise monochrome form.

Set against a white wall, the sculpture anchors the space with a brooding presence, absorbing and redirecting the room’s energy. The text below has been hand-inscribed directly onto the wall using a tattoo gun — an act that shadows and echoes the punctures above. Here, language becomes an extension of the wound, allowing the language itself to participate in the action.

Critical Hit functions as a metaphor for self-destruction and internalized harm — a meditation on how our defensive responses, aggression, and projected toxicity often end up turning inward. It speaks to the quiet tragedy of becoming one’s own adversary, of transforming instinct for protection into cycles of self-sabotage.

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