Painting 1 – Confinement and Restriction

This painting depicts two legs in trainers entangled in a network of white lines, with one foot chained to a heavy black ball. Painted in acrylic on board, the work externalises the overwhelming sensation of being immobilised and restrained. The white lines are central: they criss-cross the entire composition, weaving through figure and ground like a net. These lines can be read as institutional frameworks, social expectations, or psychological restraints, invisible systems of control that are constantly present yet not always physically seen.

The red ground intensifies the claustrophobia, evoking urgency and pressure. The contrast between the grey and black trainers symbolises the tension between individuality and conformity. The ball and chain reinforce the historical and cultural weight of oppression, while the multiplying white lines suggest how entrapment is not only physical but systemic, echoing Ahmed’s (2004) idea that social norms “stick” to bodies in ways that restrict movement.

Outcome: This painting represents restriction within the school environment, tying directly to my lived experience of adapting to new cultural systems after migration. It demonstrates how everyday moments, such as walking through school corridors, can become charged with psychological intensity when overlaid with systemic pressures and invisible rules.