Faculty of Art

Drawing and Painting

Lydia Roy

Un Trésor Englouti

Part of my Thesis project, "what it means to be brave"“Being strong” can mean many things, but at the base of it, it means to protect one’s heart as if it was a treasure. The crochet chainmail symbolizes that protection, offering refuge against the harshness of the world, therefore a symbol of strength. However, there is a dichotomy associated with this concept as the chainmail can also weigh one down, keeping it from experiencing anything at all. This idea of protection now becomes the captor, obstructing the pearl’s light and glow. Strength has taken over and suppressed any capacity from vulnerability, creating a distance between the mind and the heart and therefore denying one’s opportunity to thrive in the world and find a space that feels safe.

“What was once a vital defense against the harshness of the world, a symbol of strength, was now weighing down on the hidden treasure, obstructing its light and glow.”