CLOSED VS OPEN

This piece was inspired by Dostoyevsky’s Crime and Punishment. I used acrylic on top of two cardboard panels to depict a progression of the character, Raskolnikov. The first panel shows a tumultuous backdrop of books and furniture with Raskolnikov sitting in the center, illuminated by dim lamplight and sitting deep in thought.Through a physically distorted and disorganized room, the panel depicts a twisted worldview resulting from isolation in one's mind. In the second panel, I drew an undistorted room with the door standing ajar, hinting at how Raskolnikov has opened up his mind to other people. This leads to a reintroduction of reality. This piece conveys the danger of self-isolation and the need for human connection to sustain a clear worldview.