Childhood Balance is a wire sculpture inspired by my relationship with my older brother and the countless childhood moments when he offered me encouragement, safety, and support. Two simplified figures hold hands as one walks along a narrow beam, transforming a familiar childhood act of balancing into a representation of our relationship.

Created entirely from hand-bent wire, the sculpture was designed to resemble a three-dimensional line drawing. The minimal forms capture movement without unnecessary detail, allowing the positioning of the figures—their connected hands, outstretched arms, and carefully balanced bodies—to tell the story.

I originally created this piece to represent the ways my brother has helped balance me throughout my life. When I shared it with him, however, he responded, “Sometimes I’m not sure who is balancing who.” His words gave the piece an entirely new meaning. Structurally, neither wire figure can stand properly without the other, unintentionally reflecting the same idea: meaningful relationships are not built on one person supporting another, but on two people continually holding each other up.

What began as a reflection on childhood ultimately became a reminder that support is reciprocal—and sometimes we do not realize the ways we are holding someone else up, too.