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Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Image 1 of 1
Year: 2024
Size: 14 × 20 inches
Display: Floating art frame
Medium: Watercolor cutout, paint-marker outlines, and hand-painted glass
Born Burnt Out symbolizes entering the world already burdened by pressure, trauma, expectations, and problems we did not create. Childhood is supposed to represent innocence and possibility, but some people are forced into survival before they ever have the opportunity to feel safe. They grow emotionally older while still carrying the vulnerable child they once were.
The stroller represents dependence and the lack of control we have over where life initially takes us. The figure cannot steer, escape, or choose its direction. The flames represent anxiety, anger, family trauma, social pressure, and the constant demand to keep moving even while everything feels like it is burning.
There is also dark humor in the idea of a baby already experiencing complete burnout. We are told that life is full of endless possibilities, yet many people feel exhausted before they have even figured out who they are. The piece asks what happens when innocence does not slowly disappear but is burned away almost immediately.
Despite appearing destroyed, the figure is still alive, still moving, and still raising its hand through the flames. It is grotesque, uncomfortable, and strangely resilient. Sometimes surviving does not look graceful. Sometimes it looks like rolling forward while the entire world is on fire.
Year: 2024
Size: 14 × 20 inches
Display: Floating art frame
Medium: Watercolor cutout, paint-marker outlines, and hand-painted glass
Born Burnt Out symbolizes entering the world already burdened by pressure, trauma, expectations, and problems we did not create. Childhood is supposed to represent innocence and possibility, but some people are forced into survival before they ever have the opportunity to feel safe. They grow emotionally older while still carrying the vulnerable child they once were.
The stroller represents dependence and the lack of control we have over where life initially takes us. The figure cannot steer, escape, or choose its direction. The flames represent anxiety, anger, family trauma, social pressure, and the constant demand to keep moving even while everything feels like it is burning.
There is also dark humor in the idea of a baby already experiencing complete burnout. We are told that life is full of endless possibilities, yet many people feel exhausted before they have even figured out who they are. The piece asks what happens when innocence does not slowly disappear but is burned away almost immediately.
Despite appearing destroyed, the figure is still alive, still moving, and still raising its hand through the flames. It is grotesque, uncomfortable, and strangely resilient. Sometimes surviving does not look graceful. Sometimes it looks like rolling forward while the entire world is on fire.