My Heart,
My Spine, 202341” x 3” x 5.5” (My Heart),
20” x 20” x 4”(My Spine)
Ceramic and Welded Steel
Two appendages loom along the wall, suspended like trophies—preserved yet disquieting. Both forms represent living organs manipulated and bound by inorganic, industrial means. My Spine is an elongated, vertebrae-like structure assembled from short segments of sharp-angled steel tubing. Visually striking yet unsettling, its rigid, spiked construction evokes discomfort—like the memory of pain etched into the body.
Above it hangs My Heart, its surface blackened and textured like charred wood. The effect, achieved through high-fire reduction, gives the form a scorched, carbon-like finish—produced by intense heat and oxygen deprivation. A welded steel ring encircles the organ, both protecting and restraining it, limiting its capacity to expand.
This work reflects on how the body holds and transforms pain over time. It responds to cultural directives to "grow a backbone" or "harden the heart" as coping mechanisms for emotional injury. The piece explores the physical manifestation of emotional resilience—how suffering is internalized, stored, and eventually made visible.
20” x 20” x 4”(My Spine)
Ceramic and Welded Steel
Two appendages loom along the wall, suspended like trophies—preserved yet disquieting. Both forms represent living organs manipulated and bound by inorganic, industrial means. My Spine is an elongated, vertebrae-like structure assembled from short segments of sharp-angled steel tubing. Visually striking yet unsettling, its rigid, spiked construction evokes discomfort—like the memory of pain etched into the body.
Above it hangs My Heart, its surface blackened and textured like charred wood. The effect, achieved through high-fire reduction, gives the form a scorched, carbon-like finish—produced by intense heat and oxygen deprivation. A welded steel ring encircles the organ, both protecting and restraining it, limiting its capacity to expand.
This work reflects on how the body holds and transforms pain over time. It responds to cultural directives to "grow a backbone" or "harden the heart" as coping mechanisms for emotional injury. The piece explores the physical manifestation of emotional resilience—how suffering is internalized, stored, and eventually made visible.
