INNER SELF

My school days were the most frustrating period of my life. I was sensitive about everything and struggled to build relationships with others. This piece is a drawing created solely with a ballpoint pen, expressing the confusing emotions I experienced during that time. It clearly reflects a deep exploration of the question, "Who am I?"

Because of the emotional wounds inflicted by others, my ego became fragile, symbolized here as a persona I try to conceal by covering it with cloth. The circle in the lower right corner represents a magnifying glass, and within it, I wrote words and behaviors that I dislike.

Though the overall tone of the drawing may seem harsh or unsettling, it actually conveys a strong sense of hope. The moon, which I idealize, is prominently depicted within the eye sockets of the skull. If you look closely through the magnifying glass, you can see my pure, tearful eyes surrounded by yet-to-bloom flowers.

The present state may appear unstable and chaotic, but the drawing also expresses a yearning to overcome this turmoil someday.