Shattered Refuge

Shattered Refuge

In Shattered Refuge, WLBJ delivers a heart-wrenching portrayal of survival amidst the unforgiving violence of war. A mother clutches her child tightly, her wide, tear-streaked eyes locked on the viewer. It is as if she pleads for answers or deliverance from the chaos consuming her world. The child, bundled in a tattered, makeshift coat, gazes forward with silent, haunting innocence. Too young to comprehend the horror unfolding around them, the child is already irrevocably marked by it.

Behind them, a military vehicle barrels through the scorched earth, its presence accompanied by a monstrous explosion that swallows the sky. Thick clouds of black smoke coil upwards like serpents, darkening what should be a golden sunrise. The backdrop of crumbling homes and skeletal trees reminds us that no safe haven remains — the sanctuary of their world has been reduced to ash and rubble.

The woman’s expression captures the intersection of desperation and strength. Her resolve to protect the child remains unshaken, even as their lives hang precariously in the balance. Her ragged scarf, worn and stained, mirrors the landscape — scarred but enduring. She is not just fleeing destruction but also carrying the immense emotional burden of loss and the uncertainty of survival.

WLBJ’s work here demands that we confront the human toll of war. The mother and child stand as a universal symbol of the innocent lives torn apart, displaced, and left vulnerable by senseless conflict. Their haunting presence compels us to ask: how many futures must burn before we recognize the cost of our hatred?

Through Shattered Refuge, WLBJ reminds us of the resilience of the human spirit while urging society to become architects of peace, not perpetuators of destruction. Their survival — and countless others — depends on it.