When in-person instruction resumed, I often arrived at work outfitted in what I jokingly referred to as my “Darth Vader” ensemble. Returning home, I would immediately decontaminate before interacting with my family. While I never actually burned my clothes, my wife insisted that I shower before touching her or our daughter. It was a period marked by uncertainty and heightened caution—even our mail was routinely disinfected.

These drawings began as studies of transmission, mapping the perceived danger zones that shaped our daily lives during the pandemic. I was drawn to the image of paper serving as a temporary protective barrier before masks were put into place. The visual language of superheroes and villains also became an area of interest, as protective equipment transformed ordinary individuals into figures that seemed simultaneously heroic, anonymous, and threatening.