The Garden is a threshold where the soul steps in the earthly realm, entering a layered terrain that is a once intimate and elusive.
It is a place that offers meaning in fragments, hinting at understanding without ever settling into certainty.
I linger on a persistent tension: Is The Garden a cultivated refuge, a formative space where consciousness unfolds, or an elegantly arranged enclosure we mistake for freedom?
These possibilities coexist in deliberate ambiguity. The work invites the viewer to dwell within it, to sense their own passage, and to experience the subtle choreography between presence, perception, and place.
In this seemingly innocuous place, the jar of hearts stands as a powerful metaphor for the manipulation of and the control of human emotion. Each heart, delicately and carefully encased within the glass, symbolises the fragments of trust, affection, and vulnerability that have been taken, broken, and hoarded by those who seek to dominate others through emotional manipulation.
The glass jar becomes a prison for the hearts it holds—suggesting how easily love can be commodified and controlled by those who understand its fragility.
The hearts inside are not just symbols of love, but also of betrayal and heartbreak—exploited, shattered, and trapped in a cycle of emotional conquest. The work explores the darker side of relationships, where power dynamics shift through deceit and coercion, leaving individuals powerless to protect their own emotional well-being.
The translucent jar captures this complex interplay, its clarity reflecting the illusion of choice and control, while its impermeability hints at the way emotional manipulation can leave lasting scars, both visible and unseen.
The soft light that falls across the jar accentuates the fragility of the hearts, reinforcing the idea that these emotions, once broken, are never fully the same again. It speaks to the tragic reality of human connections distorted by power plays—where love is used as a weapon and hearts are traded as currency.
The piece compels the viewer to reflect on the consequences of exploiting others' affections, and the cost of holding onto someone else's vulnerability for one's own gain.
