Do I protect her or does she protect me? marks a subtle yet meaningful shift in Mallory Page’s practice. While her earlier works often held symbolism just beneath the surface, this piece introduces a more direct visual reference: a delicate, luminous shell positioned at the heart of the composition.

Rendered with Page’s characteristic thinly layered acrylic washes, the painting creates an immersive, almost womb-like space, where soft gradients of muted color radiate outward like echoes. A beam of gentle light illuminates the shell, highlighting its fragile beauty and protective form, suggesting both shelter and vulnerability.

Shells have emerged as a recurring motif in Page’s research, symbolizing protection, memory, and transformation. Here, the piece thoughtfully explores this duality—asking whether protection is something we provide, something we receive, or perhaps both simultaneously. The shell becomes a quiet meditation on strength and tenderness, on what it means to hold and to be held.