Contradictory Structures Final: Beneath Broken Wings
Materials: Steel rods, fabric, and glow ball led lights
Dimensions: 2.5 x 2 x 6
Beneath Broken Wings is a sculpture I created to show the hidden pain behind a joyful appearance. By reading The Gravity of Levity: Humor as Conceptual Critique, I wanted to explore how humor can hide deep emotions. Like a clown, the figure appears bright and cheerful, but underneath, she carries pain that no one sees.
I built the sculpture with a triangular base covered in colorful fabrics to give it a playful and lively look. From this base, I shaped the outline of a womanโs face using bent and twisted steel rods, making her appear fragile and distorted. I wrapped yarn and fabric around parts of the piece to add softness and show the delicate balance between how she looks on the outside and what she truly feels inside.
I placed a glowing LED ball that flickers in different colors, each representing an emotion. Red reflects hidden anger or passion, while yellow represents the happiness she forces herself to show. Pink symbolizes her vulnerability, and black hints at the sadness weighing on her. Blue expresses her quiet misery. The changing lights create a sense of anxiety, mirroring different emotions beneath a smiling face.
Through Beneath Broken Wings, I want to make people think about the masks we wear to hide our struggles. Even those who seem the happiest may be carrying pain inside, and I hope this piece encourages people to look beyond the surface and understand the emotions that arenโt always visible.
