Friday is the last day Tortured Soul will be available, so be sure to grab it before then! This is the first screen print to be resurrected from the archives and on Friday it will return to the archives and be retired for good. 🩸 Tortured Soul carries one of the most personal stories I’ve ever translated into a drawing. Years ago, I had a friend who was going through a very rough time. Late one night, I came upon them in a dire situation— so dire that if I had not interrupted the results could have been fatal. I rushed to their side to help them, calm them, and make sure they got the aid they needed. After, we had a long talk about the crushing weight of depression and the feelings that came along with it. They felt trapped in a self-made void where their demons held reign. This inescapable black hole had become home to their mind and thoughts, slowly draining them of energy, emotions, and hope. As the walls of their prison built up, they felt separated from everyone they cared for. Depressed for so long that they didn’t have the capacity to see past their confines, all they knew was the engulfing darkness that had become commonplace and which slowly ate away at every part of their being. This was a friend I admired, so it was difficult to hear they carried such deep pain, yet I was grateful they shared it with me because it was one step in the direction of healing. Afterwards, I sat down and I started drawing in order to process what my friend had told me and to better relate to what they were going through. I hated knowing they were in pain and I hated that I couldn’t fix it for them. As I sketched, I thought of all the potential I saw in them and hoped they would soon see it and realize they had the strength to break free. The final result was Tortured Soul. It depicts a forlorn Queen, weeping into her hands, enveloped in her own black hole. The flowers blooming around her are symbolic of mourning and represent the parts of herself she felt were dying. The two serpents in the wreath are the only hopeful elements, symbolizing the hidden strength and power that will eventually allow the Queen to set herself free.🩸 #poisonappleprintshop #torturedsoul https://www.instagram.com/p/B89AY0jHgKS/?igshid=1k7b1qvwqd963
