In the Prison of Self

by Maryam Shokoohi · Den Haag, NL

In the Prison of Self” The sea is boundless. Colors swirl, the waves sing of freedom, and in the heart of this infinity, a small, bright red fish dances — restless, searching, full of longing. Yet the farther it swims, the deeper it sinks into an invisible prison. A prison made not of water nor glass, but of itself — of its own fears, illusions, and the unseen walls it has birthed within. The fish’s body takes the shape of a bowl; it spirals into itself, trapped in the whirlpool of its own making. And are we humans not the same? Adrift in our inner seas, bound by walls we ourselves have built? With a heart still beating with passion and hope, yet endlessly circling within the prison of self. The deep blues whisper of the ocean; the fiery reds, the longing spirit of life; and the golden streaks — a faint glimmer of hope that still shines through. This piece is a quiet question to the viewer: Do you see your own prison? Do you dare to break it? Do you have the courage to let yourself drift free into your own vastness? “In the Prison of Self” is a journey into the depths of the human soul; a confrontation with the boundaries that lie within. Perhaps true freedom is found in embracing both: the sea and the prison, together.