Item is a digital painting submitted by Aditya Kalra for the 2023 Pulse and Palette: An Art Contest. The description of the art piece is as follows:
"In her graphic memoir Queen of Snails, Burdock writes, “Underneath the snail’s shell, though, there is a more mutable underbelly of feelings and experiences” (Burdock, 57). Recently, I’ve been fascinated by shell-bearing creatures. In parallel, I’ve also been curious about the idea of a “safe space.” In Burdock’s book, a shell becomes a calcareous casing for a concealed world––both a layer of protection and traversable barrier. The shell bestows upon its insides the purest solitude. As an emblem of safety, I drew two seashells in different positions. Although its spiral chamber can only be partially seen through its opening, we become intimately aware of its hidden space. Frequently, I feel like locking myself in the fetal position and entering an incubated pod of my own arms and legs. As graphic medicine explores the power of experiences, I believe that safety and trust are worthy of discourse and vivid depiction.”