Reticence

2025

Silence begins as a choice—a moment of hesitation, a thought left unspoken. But over time, it shifts. What starts as simply withholding words becomes something heavier, something deeper. It is the slow erosion of voice, the creeping sense that what we have to say holds no weight. That we hold no weight.

Reticence is about that transformation: the quiet descent from silence into invisibility. As we speak less, we are heard less. As we are heard less, we feel less seen. And eventually, we wonder if we exist at all in the minds of others.

This series explores that space between withholding and disappearing—the liminal, haunting space where presence fades and the self becomes uncertain. Each image is a representation of internalized silence, a visual manifestation of feeling unheard and unseen. The weight of being misunderstood surrounds them, shaping their reality, trapping them in a perpetual state of paralysis, consumed by relentless self-doubt. Even the title of each piece is a literalization of a simple idiom, or a play on words. At a glance, the viewer may find it gimmicky and dismiss the piece entirely – in the same way that our voice is often shut down as unimportant or irrelevant. The titles are a quiet challenge: will you stay long enough to see what’s really being said?

Through its composition and symbolism, Reticence examines how self-imposed silence isolates, how it distorts identity, and how, when left unchecked, it can culminate in resentment and bitterness, and a loss of purpose.

If you are interested in purchasing a print from the RETICENCE series, click HERE.