This piece is a deeply personal self-portrait based on a memory from my childhood. At age four, I danced joyfully in my cousin’s skirt at my own birthday party — one of the happiest moments of my life. But that memory was later turned into a source of shame and ridicule, replayed year after year through a family video that became a painful tradition.

In the painting, my hands signal a silent call for help — one forming a fist, the other shaped in a sign that reads "Help me." The piece is grounded by a real piece of an old Persian carpet, representing both my Iranian heritage and the actual rug I danced on that day. It’s a reflection on identity, memory, queerness, and the lasting impact of childhood experiences.