a tender heart, a heavy burden

This work explores the theme of mental health. It is constructed from wool yarn wound around a rigid frame made of steel strips. The contrast between the suppleness of the yarn and the hardness of the metal symbolizes the constant tension between emotional vulnerability and inner resilience. The figure’s crouching posture represents a state of submission in the face of internal struggles. The work expresses pain, distress, and the crushing weight of overwhelming emotions. It also evokes the difficulty of overcoming the challenges associated with depression. The interpretation, however, remains open: the figure may appear to be either collapsing or attempting to rebuild itself. Is it rebuilding itself, gradually getting back on its feet, or is it losing itself and silently destroying itself? This ambivalence heightens the work’s emotional impact, serving as a mirror to a psychological state that is often invisible but deeply felt.