Growing Pains

15 x 13 x 12 inches / Materials: Clay, wire, photographs

“Growing Pains” mirrors my experience of growing up with repressed anxiety and isolation, emotions that rooted me in place, silently growing until they burst forth during my freshman year of high school. Projected words climbing the sculpture echo the hurtful words and self-perceptions I internalized, shaping my identity at the time. The piece symbolizes how I was able to “grow” out of these memories and transformed my pain into art—a cathartic process that continues to help me grow.