“…the condition is neither deep-rooted nor permanent. In fact it only exists on a superficial layer of the mind. We all regularly have moments when our normal psychological discord fades away and we experience a sense of ease, well-being and harmony.” (Steve Taylor, Ph.D)

I explore the fragility of the human mind and observe the mental shells we use to hide ourselves away from emotional trauma—a safety measure that isn’t always sound. Social constructs inform individuals to create barriers; the walls continuously built, brick by brick, and resting upon what we allow ourselves to believe are pillars of stone, but are actually fragile eggshells. We have conditioned ourselves to compartmentalize aspects of our lives to define what it means to ‘be okay.’ Guarded emphasizes the fragility of ones’ mind and the creation of subtle anxieties when faced with emotional pain that often consumes its host.

The plasticity of porcelain presents a visual delicateness and frailty that evokes a sense of vulnerability juxtaposed with forms that reference shelter, safety, and the womb. Themes of anxiety and vulnerability imply a sense of incompleteness or damage—our incentive to guard ourselves from injury. Guarded represents a kind and weathered harmony between emotional trauma and the mind, a transformed state of mental equilibrium—it’s strong despite being fragile.