Not all restraint is visible. Some of it is carried internally—quiet, persistent, and unchallenged because it has no clear source. It does not announce itself as limitation. It presents as identity, as memory, as something that simply is. This piece exists within that tension. The figure is not physically bound, yet everything about the posture suggests containment. The pressure is inward, not applied. There is no external force holding it in place—only the weight of something already accepted. The chains are not depicted as objects. They are implied through form, through compression, through the refusal of movement. This is not captivity. It is identification with what confines you.
The original version of “Chains of the Mind” was created at a smaller scale and went on to win a national art competition for disabled veterans—recognized not for what it shows, but for what it reflects. This piece is a recreation of that work at twice the size, with increased detail and depth. The expansion is not simply physical—it allows the internal tension to surface more clearly, making what was once implied feel unavoidable.
Each mark was burned directly into solid basswood using controlled heat, with additional depth and dramatic contrast achieved through torch shading work. No erasure. No correction. No reversal. Once the surface is altered, it remains altered. The same is true for the patterns we carry.
This artwork is created entirely by hand from start to finish. The artist redraws the composition freehand for every burn—never traced, never mechanically transferred, never copied. Even when revisiting the same subject, each execution develops its own variations in line work, depth, and texture, ensuring every finished piece is a singular physical work.
Offered in a 18”× 24” format and available with White, Black, or Brown framing, "Chains of the Mind" invites profound contemplation on the invisible bonds that shape us.
Size 18” × 24”
Wood Type Basswood
Creation Time 50+ hours (estimated, reflecting the artist’s dedicated process)
100% hand-drawn and hand-burned, with torch shading
Framing Options White, Black, or Brown
Hand-burned by Mohawk Wyatt using traditional wood burning and pyrography techniques.
Not all restraint is visible. Some of it is carried internally—quiet, persistent, and unchallenged because it has no clear source. It does not announce itself as limitation. It presents as identity, as memory, as something that simply is. This piece exists within that tension. The figure is not physically bound, yet everything about the posture suggests containment. The pressure is inward, not applied. There is no external force holding it in place—only the weight of something already accepted. The chains are not depicted as objects. They are implied through form, through compression, through the refusal of movement. This is not captivity. It is identification with what confines you.
The original version of “Chains of the Mind” was created at a smaller scale and went on to win a national art competition for disabled veterans—recognized not for what it shows, but for what it reflects. This piece is a recreation of that work at twice the size, with increased detail and depth. The expansion is not simply physical—it allows the internal tension to surface more clearly, making what was once implied feel unavoidable.
Each mark was burned directly into solid basswood using controlled heat, with additional depth and dramatic contrast achieved through torch shading work. No erasure. No correction. No reversal. Once the surface is altered, it remains altered. The same is true for the patterns we carry.
This artwork is created entirely by hand from start to finish. The artist redraws the composition freehand for every burn—never traced, never mechanically transferred, never copied. Even when revisiting the same subject, each execution develops its own variations in line work, depth, and texture, ensuring every finished piece is a singular physical work.
Offered in a 18”× 24” format and available with White, Black, or Brown framing, "Chains of the Mind" invites profound contemplation on the invisible bonds that shape us.
Size 18” × 24”
Wood Type Basswood
Creation Time 50+ hours (estimated, reflecting the artist’s dedicated process)
100% hand-drawn and hand-burned, with torch shading
Framing Options White, Black, or Brown
Hand-burned by Mohawk Wyatt using traditional wood burning and pyrography techniques.
