​The series “Puer Aeternus: Eternal Youth” unfolds as a visual meditation on the delicate interplay between the organic, fluid nature of watercolor—its capacity to bleed, diffuse, and accumulate layer upon layer—and the rigid, artificial structure of the wooden frame, which symbolizes the boundaries imposed upon the individual by societal norms. This contrast seeks to explore the tension between the essential self and the social self, expressing the ambivalence and inner conflicts born from this dichotomy.

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Though the body halts its growth, suspended within the finite progression of time that governs all, the mind remains coiled in existential tension, caught between the social constructs that define identity and the essential self's yearning for freedom. In this liminal space, one becomes preoccupied with the unresolvable duality between these forces. As an autonomous individual traversing the path from life to death, I am drawn to contemplate the myriad relationships encountered along this journey, the narratives they generate, and the emotional ambivalence that often arises from them. The instinctual, primal self—the pure, unrestrained child within—persists, leading us to continually distinguish between self and other, grappling with the social boundaries and their shifting meanings. This persistent need to define ourselves and others forms the essence of human existence.

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Life, though confined within the frame of time, manifests in myriad forms. Even within the inevitable scope of existence, the boundaries that define each life are constantly shifting, interacting, and evolving in an organic dance of interconnection. By visualizing these unseen constraints and conventions, I seek to raise questions about our entrenched attitudes toward them.

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The work originates from the question, “What significance does the individuality of each person hold when viewed within the collective?” Through the repetition of standardized forms, spatial limitations, and carefully measured intervals between exhibited pieces, this installation metaphorically examines the invisible boundaries—cultural, economic, and historical—that shape human life within modern society. It draws parallels between these imposed limits and the unrelenting natural cycles that govern our existence. As such, the work becomes a visual representation of the social norms and the invisible forces that continuously shape and redefine the lives of individuals within the larger framework of humanity.