Self Incarceration

Self Incarceration is an immersive installation set within a former police station in Hampstead Heath. Using the charged environment of the old cells, LUAP explores the idea of untapped human potential and the emotional states that can trap us—despite the door being open and the key already in the lock.

The work reflects on how feelings of helplessness, fear, or unresolved trauma can create invisible barriers, keeping individuals from realising their own capabilities. These emotional constraints, though often self-imposed, can feel as solid as steel bars, restricting growth and silencing creativity.

At the centre of the installation is LUAP’s recurring Pink Bear character, first conceived during cognitive behavioural therapy. Initially imagined as a symbol of strength and defiance, the bear has come to represent resilience, vulnerability, and transformation. Once lost and seeking connection, it now stands as an alter ego for the artist—evolving alongside him and echoing his personal journey toward confidence and freedom.

Self Incarceration invites viewers to confront the internal prisons we build for ourselves, and to recognise the possibility of release—not through force, but through self-awareness, empathy and courage.