GROWING UP IN A TRADITIONAL STYLE FAMILY, I WAS EXPECTED TO ACT A CERTAIN WAY, TO BECOME A SOMEBODY. IT'S PATHETIC TO THINK THAT WHERE MY LIFE IS GOING IS TOTALLY OUT OF MY CONTROL. THE RESTRAINED, OLD FASHIONED SOCIETY IN WHICH I WAS RAISED HAS PREVENTED CHILDREN FROM BEING ON THE "WRONG PATH". THE MALFORMED PARENTING AND EDUCATION SYSTEM HAS DONE NOTHING BUT TAKEAWAY SOMETHING THAT'S CALLED FREEDOM. IN MY SCULPTURE I CHOSE INSULATION FOAM TO CREATE THE MAIN FORM OF THE SCULPTURE. ALTHOUGH IT HAS THE POTENTIAL TO BE FORMED IN ANY NUMBER OF INFINITE POSSIBLE SHAPES, I MANIPULATED IT INTO THE FINAL FORM, MUCH IN THE SAME WAY THAT EXTERNAL PRESSURES FROM OUR PARENTS, OUR FAMILY, AND OUR FRIENDS SHAPES AND MOLDS THE PERSON WE BECOME. THE FOAM ENCOMPASSES THE BIRDS, SUFFOCATING THEIR ATTEMPTS AT FREEDOM. ALL OF WHICH IS STRANGLED BY THE SOCIETY IN WHICH WE LIVE, WRAPPING AROUND OUR LIVES, AN UNSEEN NOOSE. ThE SHAPE IN WHICH THE FOAM LAYERS ARE STACKED AND THE CHOICE OF COLOR SUGGESTS THAT THESE STRUGGLES RESIDE DEEP WITHIN ME, A PROCESS LIKE DIGESTION, OCCURRING UNSEEN BUT CONSTANTLY CHANGING AND CONSUMING. THE PERIPLOCA SEED APPEARS AT FIRST GLANCE TO BE A THORN, PAINFUL AND DANGEROUS, BUT THEY CONTAIN WITHIN THEM THE SEEDS OF A NEW BEGINNING.