Gummy Party 

"Stretched to fit the mold.”

Close-up image of orange drink with bubbles and small pieces of fruit, possibly berries, submerged in the liquid.

Clique

Close-up of an orange beverage with bubbles and two green lime wedges.

Threes A Crowd

Close-up of the surface of a glass of orange-colored beer with bubbles and foam, with a small dark spot in the lower part of the image.

In Dependance

Close-up of an orange-colored beverage with bubbles and a small green leaf at the bottom.

Fallout

Do I shape myself to match the mold, or am I shaped by the absence of connection?

Gummy Party explores the quiet politics of belonging, how cliques form, how they exclude, and what it costs to stand apart.

  • Gummy Party wraps difficult truths in bright, sticky color. Using candy as stand-ins for people, the series explores belonging, exclusion, and the fragile rules of social survival.

    Clique clusters its figures in tight allegiance. Three’s a Crowd teeters on imbalance. Fallout captures the moment of rupture, someone drifting or being pushed out. And In Dependance centers a single blue gummy, distinct in color and position. It appears self-contained, but the title reveals the tension: independence as strength, and “in dependence” as quiet longing for connection.

    Set against a saturated orange backdrop, warm, artificial, overwhelming, the series evokes the pressure of fitting in and the loneliness of standing apart.

    In the end, Gummy Party asks a simple but layered question: What kind of connection do we crave, and at what cost do we protect it?

  • God never meant for community to become a contest.

    Yet from an early age, many of us learn to perform to belong. We form cliques to feel safe. We shrink to stay accepted. We turn away from those who don’t blend in. But the God who sees the heart doesn’t play by those rules.

    Scripture reminds us that in Christ, there is no hierarchy of belonging, no favoritism, no exclusion, no performance required.

    He calls us not just to gather, but to welcome. Not just to fit in, but to be formed together in love.

    “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Mark 12:31

    Even when others cast you out, God calls you in. Even when cliques close, His arms remain open. He doesn’t need you to blend in. He created you to belong, fully, freely, and without fear.

    Reflection Question:

    Who have you overlooked or pushed away, and how can you create space for them today?

  • Workshops: Art-making on belonging, exclusion, and group dynamics.

    Therapeutic/Educational: Training on social survival strategies; relevant for addressing peer pressure, exclusion, and isolation.

    Community Dialogue: Conversations on peer pressure, loyalty, and rupture.

    Youth Engagement: Creative projects on cliques, friendship, and independence.

    Wellness Spaces: Guided reflections on the costs and cravings of connection.