There are three rats bound together by the tails, into what is known as a Rat King. They lie upon a bed of blue clovers. Four fireflies can be seen hovering around them. It was created with colored pencils, specifically for this contest. All of my work represents an aspect of human psychology and spirituality.

A Rat King is a collection of rats whose tails have become intertwined, so much so that a singular mass is formed. When the rats pull in opposite directions, the knot tightens, worsening the very situation from which they long to escape. The more they struggle, the worse the entanglement becomes.

I made my piece, “Temper,” because there is so much anger in the world and so many confused souls. With everybody so focused on worldly passions, humanity as a whole acts similar to the Rat King: the more we strive on our own, without letting God lead our hearts and minds, the worse our situation becomes. Much like the Rat King’s situation, if we were to turn our sights back towards God and the truth of the Word, as illuminated in Ephesians 6:10-20, we would be able to eradicate the rulers of the darkness of this world and to “stand against the wiles of the devil” who keeps us bound to wickedness.

All credits belong to Johanna