Pride

Artist statement

Pride explores the tension between self-respect, ego, and the way identity is shaped by the words we carry within ourselves. The sculpture presents a human head emerging from a base covered in word-search grids, inviting the viewer to search for words that describe the subject’s inner condition. The words EGO and PRIDE anchor the work, while phrases across the head suggest insecurity, self-doubt, defensiveness, vanity, and the need for recognition. At its core, the work asks a difficult question: How can I respect you if you don’t respect yourself? The piece suggests that pride can be both protection and prison, a mask used to defend a fragile sense of self. By combining portraiture, language, and interactive searching, the sculpture turns inner conflict into a physical object, asking viewers to consider how self-worth, dignity, and ego are built, damaged, and performed.