Ashes and Ascent

This work is a response to the rigid stratification of social classes — a critique of a system where upward mobility feels increasingly out of reach. The piece is constructed from repeated cross forms, arranged in a manner both chaotic and ordered, creating a structure that is visually minimalist yet structurally complex.

Fractures and segmented cuts run throughout the form, symbolizing the disconnection and isolation bred by entrenched hierarchy. And yet, the overall shape resembles wings in flight — a visual paradox that honors those who continue to strive amid adversity. Even with broken wings, one can still rise.

Through this form, the artwork speaks to resilience, inner peace, and transformation. It invites viewers to reflect on the emotional labor required to process societal injustice, and the strength needed to resist internal corrosion in the face of it. It is a call to remain grounded, to overcome, and to be reborn — forged in fire, and made whole again.

The use of the cross is deliberate, drawing from Christian symbolism of death and resurrection, echoing themes of suffering, transcendence, and hope.