Validation
This piece kicks off the 8 Deadly Sins of the Modern Era series with the one we’re all secretly hooked on—validation.
It’s not pride anymore. It’s something messier, sneakier.
A dopamine addiction dressed up in fake confidence and filtered self-worth. We post, we wait, we scroll, we compare. And then we repeat.
The fractured figure in this piece isn’t shattered from trauma.
It’s from feedback loops. From likes. From silence.
They’re still standing, but barely held together.
The glowing icons that hover like a halo aren’t divine—they’re reminders of a world watching, judging, affirming, ignoring. It’s all noise. But it still hits like gospel.
At its core, this isn’t a critique. It’s a confession.
Details
Technique:
This piece began with a base illustration created in Procreate on an iPad Pro, but was built to feel raw and painfully human. The figure was rendered with a cracked-glass pattern to suggest fragility beneath a curated exterior. Icons and emojis were integrated into the typography and background to mimic the constant hum of social noise. The typography and icons were completed in Adobe Illustrator, and the poster was assembled in Adobe Photoshop.
Dimensions:
24″ x 36″
Date:
2025
