This work draws on the idiom “pulling the blanket over oneself,” a metaphor for social conflict in which different parties compete for power, privilege, or control. What begins as a seemingly minor rivalry can become the seed of a much greater tragedy.

Here, the metaphor is made literal — the sculpted blanket is tightly bound with rope, resembling a bundle or sheaf, giving form to the expression. The squares on the surface evoke land, referencing ancient Slavic symbolism, where earth held sacred meaning. Tragically, the struggle for land remains a source of violence to this day, soaking the soil with blood time and again.

This object continues the series in which the blanket is seen as a coveted symbol of power and dominance. Here, the blanket takes the form of a royal mantle, while the pillow appears as a crown. One might imagine a monarch or a high-ranking clergyman — but the king is, in fact, “naked.” In other words, it is the entourage that makes the king. And when the entourage is gone, only the garments remain. The absence of the figure emphasizes how authority is often a matter of perception.

The piece also alludes to a child imagining themselves as someone important, testing the boundaries of their control. And this seemingly harmless trait can, over time, grow into a dictator.