Description

This piece draws from my recent visit to the Big Pit, where the sight of ponies’ names etched in the underground stables stirred a profound sadness within me. Many spent their entire lives below, never to resurface. The pony in this print symbolizes their descent into the mine, gazing back at the only light he’ll ever know for the rest of his life. Additionally, the children’s book ‘Lysek z pokladu idy’ read to me as a child inspired me. It recounts the tale of Lysek, a horse in a coal mine, who saves a miner and earns freedom from the underground to lush pastures. I used this as an insight into the similar experiences of miners in other countries, such as my own. The experiences of the ponies mirror the human experiences of the miners, demonstrating the struggles endured in the mines.