Accused

Accused captures the raw, unforgettable intensity of a fight-or-flight moment from my childhood. The scene is drawn from a memory of a school-wide track and field day at the park. While wandering near the gazebo, I stumbled upon a group of kids vandalizing it. Later, when the adults gathered everyone to investigate, those same kids singled me out and falsely accused me of the damage, in front of the whole school, and in front of a police officer.

The artwork conveys the overwhelming sensation of being judged by a crowd—every gaze feels like an indictment. It encapsulates the chaos of emotions: the urge to defend yourself, the instinct to flee, the crushing sense of isolation, and the whirlwind of anger, fear, sadness, and confusion that no child is equipped to process. This piece explores what it means to feel cornered, misunderstood, and utterly alone.

It captures a moment that might define a person’s ability to process conflict for years to come.