Mouse is a playful yet deeply personal body of work that explores what it means to grow up sheltered, step into a much bigger world, and learn how to be seen. Drawing from my suburban upbringing and my experience navigating the art world in a large city, the exhibition reflects the tension between outward confidence and inner vulnerability. Through layered materials, framed interiors, and soft, colorful figures, the work traces a gentle emotional arc from hiding and self-protection toward permission to take up space, to be seen without performance, and to exist without fear. Many of the pieces live in a state of contradiction. They are loud, polished, and humorous on the surface, yet anxious, timid, or quietly uncertain within. This push and pull mirrors my own experience of masking insecurity with color and charm, and of working behind the scenes as an artist assistant while slowly building the courage to put my own voice forward. At its core, Mouse is an underdog story about resilience, quiet observation, and the moment when something small finally realizes it has something worth showing.