Jessica Sandi is a highly successful 3D artist known for creating deeply symbolic artwork aimed at raising awareness about mental health. Through her work, Sandi strives to give a voice to those who feel unheard. One of her most powerful pieces, The Pain Will Never Go Away, is a representation of her personal journey. The ceramic sculpture features four clown faces, each joined by a ruffled collar. Each face represents a different emotion: a frowning face, a screaming face, a grinning face, and a whimpering face. Despite the bright paint and exaggerated expressions, all the faces carry an underlying sense of misery. Sandi chose clowns as her subject to illustrate how mental health—especially in children—is often overlooked or misunderstood.

A portion of the clowns ruffled collar broke off during the firing process, Sandi saw this as a strong metaphor for the meaning behind her piece, it serves as a warning that mental health when left unchecked will eventually break you.

In addition to The Pain Will Never Go Away, Sandi’s piece Save Yourself is another emotional testament to her experiences. The sculpture, made with two plaster-casted hands, depicts one hand tangled in barbed wire, marred with cracks and blemishes, while the other hand reaches out toward the entangled one. Sandi explains, “I made this piece out of the vulnerability with my own experiences. When I was struggling, I felt like I had no one to turn to, I was at a dead end. I had visions of ending it all. But at the end of the day, I had to be the one to pull myself out of it. I know the feelings won’t go away completely, but I had to be the one to take the first steps by myself. This piece is a testament to how strong I am during the worst times of my life.”

Through her art, Sandi not only expresses her personal battles but also hopes to encourage others to confront their own struggles and find strength within themselves.