Manuel Alejandro Cervera Arriaga - "SOCIAL CONTRACT"

Manuel Alejandro Cervera Arriaga (Prism) 

International School of Zug and Luzern

SOCIAL CONTRACT

“Though “Social Contract” may at first seem grim, it is secretly my own celebration of my identity as a youth. For years I have been too scared to be myself in front of people, but as of late, I have realized that I do not have to be constrained by the shackles placed upon me by others - I can rise to my own dreams and celebrate the experiences I have had.

Through “Social Contract” I wanted to release the pent up feelings of powerlessness in myself. Those who I am close to might know that I struggle with confidence and confrontation, and as such let myself be used for everyone else’s benefit. I feel the need to stay quiet and not engage out of fear of causing an issue. Wolves, despite hunting in packs, have always had a special value to me, both in their natural beauty and their contradictory symbolism in loneliness. The fact that I have not yet named the wolf despite building a series of over 25 pieces with this same wolf is not unintentional. I want to leave this wolf unnamed, as to allow the audience to completely disregard the character of the wolf apart from their struggles, because sometimes to truly address people’s identity, names must be stripped.

I want to make my art a way to interpret my emotions and share them, to get the pressures off my chest. I want to help those struggling with themselves know that they are not alone. I want my art to be not only for me, but also a helping hand to those suffering like me. To everyone who thinks they are the butt of the universe’s joke I want to leave a quote I think befits the message I strive for: “You don’t have to be the bad guy.” (The LEGO Movie, 2017)”