Created during a dark period when I grappled with life’s harsh realities, Addiction and Loss is a deeply personal exploration of the devastating effects of addiction and the profound emptiness it leaves behind.

Presented as a mask, the sculpture symbolizes the hollow core of a person consumed by addiction — a war waged internally, leaving only destruction in its wake.

The twisted face, with textures resembling decayed wood, captures the physical and emotional toll of addiction. The obstructed mouth speaks to its silencing power, robbing one of the ability to reason, connect, or even cry out. The hollowness within the mask reflects the absence of substance, a metaphor for the void addiction creates within a person.

Addiction and Loss challenges us to confront the strange paradox of beauty emerging from pain. It reflects the erosion of identity, the stripping away of humanity, and the unbearable cost of unchecked desires. Like a war fought on the battlefield of the soul, it leaves behind not victory but emptiness—a haunting reminder of what is lost when addiction takes hold.