This project explores the profound journey into solitude—a phase where we close our doors to the world to confront the shadows of our struggles.
It is a descent into our inner “kingdom,” where we are stripped of all distractions and faced with a fundamental choice: to rebuild ourselves or to find comfort in the familiar pain of our current state. The work embodies the visceral sensations of this process—the terrifying vision in the darkness, the loss of control, and the return to pure instinct.
At the heart of this journey lies the concept of a “safety circle,” a sacred space we draw around ourselves in solitude. This circle, which represents our inner sanctuary and self-awareness, must expand with our consciousness. The project delves into the fear of peeling off old layers to rebuild this safety net, acknowledging that true survival for the soul is not about material needs but about finding genuine safety and joy within. It is a call to face our darkest selves without judgment, to embrace that person with true self-love, and to finally take our rightful place in the kingdom we’ve built—a place of unshakeable peace and unadulterated joy.
There is a season for all of us, a quiet retreat from the world where we must willingly close the door and surrender to solitude. In this profound stillness, we are at last face-to-face with the hidden contours of our struggles, tracing the depths and forms of the shadows they cast upon our lives.
It is here, in this intimate darkness, that the true choice unfolds: do we gather the strength to peel away a layer of our old self, to emerge reborn? Or does the quiet comfort of our familiar pain become a sanctuary, a gilded cage we decide to call home forever?
