In this photograph, a hot-air balloon prepares to rise—its tiny basket suspended between earth and sky, carrying the weight of hope in a space barely big enough for one person. The flame at its center becomes the true subject: a living force of orange, amber, and scarlet red, flaring upward in a rush of heat and possibility. A hint of indigo kisses the metalwork, echoing the quiet tension between danger and beauty.

The pilot’s gloved hands grip the controls tightly, fully present in the choreography of ascent. Every burst of fire is both a breath and a battle—an intentional act of staying afloat in a world that doesn’t always make room for fragile beginnings.

This image mirrors the core of the exhibition: the struggle to rise beyond the break, to chase clarity and freedom while wrestling with the weight of disability, trauma, and the yearning for stability. The balloon’s flame becomes a metaphor for the internal fire required to lift oneself—especially when the basket of life feels small, unsteady, or not built for the storms you’ve survived.

Here, suspended in the threshold between grounding and flight, the photograph captures the moment resilience becomes motion. It celebrates the courage to ignite one’s inner fire again and again, trusting that even the smallest vessel can carry a spirit determined to ascend.