The Concept Behind My Art: Butterflies in a Jar

 The Concept Behind My Art: Butterflies in a Jar

This artwork represents a metaphorical journey of freedom and self-discovery. In the piece, I’ve illustrated a jar filled with beautiful butterflies, each symbolizing a desire for freedom. The world inside the jar is beautiful—everything appears to be perfectly arranged, yet the butterflies still feel confined and yearn to escape, to fly freely.

One butterfly remains inside the jar, while another is perched just above it, symbolizing the transition from confinement to freedom. Three butterflies are shown flying away in different directions, symbolizing diverse paths to self-liberation.

In the center, I’ve aligned a butterfly with a girl. This symbolizes a person who has everything in life seemingly in place, much like the jar’s perfectly curated world. However, despite this, she feels a sense of unfulfillment. Nothing feels truly her own, and she longs to explore her potential and capabilities. She craves freedom, the ability to run towards the things that she can create and claim as her own.

This piece reflects that no matter how perfect life may seem from the outside, true freedom comes from within—a desire to chart one’s own path and embrace one’s own journey of growth and discovery.

pooja mattapalli