Teen Angst | Acrylic and encaustic on wood | 36” x 36”

Panel 3: The Red Explosion of Dread

The third panel erupts with existential dread, as a black void cracks open to reveal a violent red explosion at the silhouette’s core. Dripping like blood or tears, the crimson flood surrounds small, watchful “eyes,” symbols of a harsh awakening. This is the moment the teenager breaches the wall of angst, seeking a glimpse of a “beautiful sunny world,” only to confront despair, division, ignorance, and hate. The intensity of the red against the oppressive black immerses viewers in a visceral cry of disillusionment, where hope shatters against reality.