This is part five of a series where I attempt to articulate the invisible torments that pursue humanity - both physical and emotional.
Whether it be a mental, physical, chronic or terminal ailment, it is not uncommon for the wounded beast to send themselves into a self imposed exile. Nobody can truly understand their experience. They know they should keep company, but after a time, there is a sense that they are inflicting a burden upon loved ones. Perhaps they should be silent and spare their friends and family the experience that they are dealing with.
With this realisation comes solitude. Isolation and introspection creates a safe haven. Nobody need hear the murmurings you make. When you are alone, you are free to be yourself. To curl into a ball of silence. To howl in pain. To lick your wounds and deal with your anguish. Nobody to tell you how you feel, to tell you how to deal with it, to be distressed by your distress.
And yet... the experts advise that being social creatures, means that the company of friends will make us happier and therefore healthier. A conundrum.
Glazed ceramic.
22 x 11 x 12cm