Trust, a word so comforting, yet so volatile. It is the invisible thread that holds relationships together, and when it frays, it unravels everything. In this deeply personal art series, titled Trust is a Deception, I explore the delicate and often painful interplay between trust and betrayal.
My three-painting series uses traditional acrylic techniques on canvas and is inspired by chiaroscuro—a technique rooted in Renaissance art. It emphasises stark contrasts between light and darkness, which helps me to examine how emotional wounds are concealed, distorted, and occasionally illuminated.
Each canvas draws inspiration from real-life experiences and emotional scars, framed by influences from Surrealism, Cubism, and Early Expressionism. These references are not merely stylistic; they reflect how broken trust in emotional relationships can distort perception, identity, and belief.
The Story Behind the Series: When Trust Breaks
“Trust is a Deception” reflects the journey of individuals who have endured the emotional aftermath of betrayal. These are not wounds caused by enemies or strangers, but by friends, family, and loved ones, the very people we are taught to trust. That’s what makes broken trust so devastating. It unravels the foundation of emotional safety.
Trust is inherently fragile, a delicate bridge that can be shattered with a single lie, a withheld truth, or a misaligned intention. To cultivate lasting emotional bonds, transparency and emotional authenticity are vital. Yet, many people extend trust blindly, influenced by childhood conditioning or the longing to believe in others. When this trust is betrayed, it doesn’t just hurt, it disrupts one’s self-concept, self-worth, and ability to feel safe in future relationships.
Understanding Deception in Emotional Relationships
The phrase trust is a deception isn’t a cynical dismissal of love or connection; it is a reflection of the subtle ways deception manifests in everyday relationships. Emotional deception doesn’t always wear the face of a lie. It can also appear as:
- Half-truths or vague communication
- Withholding emotions or important information
- Strategic silence or emotional manipulation
- Minimising or exaggerating reality to maintain control
These tactics remove a person’s freedom to choose by keeping them in the dark. Over time, this corrodes intimacy, leaving victims in a fog of confusion, neediness, anxiety, and distrust. Even those who value honesty often suppress painful thoughts or emotions, especially when they involve people they deeply care about. And when these buried emotions resurface, they do so with intensity, through anger, depression, grief, anxiety, panic, or trauma responses and PTSD. The result is not just heartbreak, but a profound disruption of emotional equilibrium.
Art as a Mirror of Repression and Vulnerability
This series visually captures the inner turmoil of those struggling with repressed emotions. It’s a tribute to the vulnerability of the wounded; those who question their reality, who are caught in cycles of grief but cannot detach from their emotional truths.
In these paintings, I sought to express the heaviness of trust betrayed; the ache of the soul trying to escape, yet rooted in sorrow. The figures appear to fold into themselves, consumed by layers of despair and confusion. Their pain isn’t always loud; it simmers beneath the surface, like a slow burn that never extinguishes.
Grief has a gravity, and for those who have lost trust, it pulls them into a place of internal silence.
Reclaiming Trust After Betrayal
Though the message of Trust is a Deception may sound bleak, its true intention is not to advocate emotional suppression. Instead, it’s a reflection on reconciliation, healing, and the quiet strength it takes to rebuild.
To trust again after betrayal is an act of radical courage. It requires us to confront our darkest emotions, acknowledge them, and still move forward with vulnerability intact.
Final Reflection: The Duality of Trust
Trust is a paradox. It binds us in intimacy, yet exposes us to heartbreak. It empowers connection, yet leaves us vulnerable to manipulation.
Through this art series, I invite viewers to reflect on their own relationship with trust, where it has been honoured, and where it has been broken. Because in acknowledging the deception, perhaps we find a deeper, truer form of emotional honesty.