In the wake of collective (and individual) chaos and trauma, one can tend towards compartmentalizing the multitude of emotions + fears.

Visual representation of these facets of trauma experience, imperfect squares/boxes, abstract, chaotic, resembling the messiness of anger, sadness, confusion, loss, and grief. As the series progresses, they become more clean, solid, clear and eventually put in order on their respective shelves, where they wait for the time to be addressed and processed, then integrated at the end.

I chose squares for a few reasons. The most obvious being the visual of a box – in the process of compartmentalization, emotions are like the boxes one might throw into the attic to go through for later. A square is contained. A square has volume and contains space, much like emotion – even if one puts them away for later, they are still very much there in the psyche, taking up space for as long as it takes to move through them. The less obvious has to do with the symbolism of a square. Squares represent structure, balance, material, stability, order, firm foundations – both metaphorically and literally. All terms representing the end goal of compartmentalizing - integration.