White Walls, Dark Truths

Set in an ambiguous hospital, this painting shows a distressed South Asian woman caught in the endless corridors of a supposed sanctuary turned nightmare. Her expression is haunted and pleading, reaching out to the viewer with 3D hands as if begging to be pulled from her surroundings. Her gown - both a patient's gown and a nod to medical staff scrubs in its grey tones - reflects the loss of autonomy, hope, and identity in patients and female practitioners alike. This piece aims to confront the failings of institutional spaces, particularly healthcare systems, to protect the vulnerable; the deliberately vague figure urges the viewer to extend her emotional state across many targets of emotional, physical and sexual abuse.",

Based on personal reflection and global research, the painting asks: who is truly seen, believed and protected?