CURATIONAL RATIONALE...
The theme for my artworks is identity, and how outside forces impact self-perception. As a teenage girl, I’ve always struggled with feeling that I have to fit myself into a certain box, and I’ve learned to doubt myself and hide my genuine self. My work narrates a journey from dissonance to confidence in three different areas: (1) Core Identity, (2) Internal Reflection, (3) External Input.
The center pieces represent my core identity, my absolute authentic self and beliefs, outside of judgement. Metamorphosis is of my gramma’s garden and represents the central part of my identity, that other components gravitate around. My gramma and her garden represent familial connection, which is an integral part of my identity. The Kids will be Alright, with two kids playing gender-bended dress up, portrays my playful, child-like self that believes in a world with freedom of gender expression. Finally, Eggy, a painting of a friend as an egg, celebrates individuality and shows I value joy and humor over aesthetic.
The next area is internal reflection and how you view yourself. I’m Fine. shows internal struggle, and the pressure to appear happy and the discordance between how you present and how you genuinely feel, and the oppression of genuine emotion. In contrast, Try Me takes inspiration from black women who wear their natural hair, and have such self-confidence, and shows a fully confident woman that reveals and accepts her true, authentic colors.
External Input is another area that pertains to how external perspective and views can impact your individual sense of self. Extra Sensitive shows how outside influences can overwhelm women to fit in traditional roles of femininity, by representing the Five Traditional Senses as typically feminine objects. In contrast, That B*tch shows Lizzo, a plus-size black singer, fully confident in herself, despite how much criticism she receives as a public figure.
The placement represents a journey of self discovery and rediscovering the core of my identity. The pieces move from struggle on the left, passing through my core identity, and confidence on the right. This illustrates how to get to confidence, I have to remind myself of my core values to ground myself in my genuine self. While completing these artworks I learned how much I value self-expression, but not just for myself, but also others, and that my artwork can be a vessel for advocacy and positive change.
The theme for my artworks is identity, and how outside forces impact self-perception. As a teenage girl, I’ve always struggled with feeling that I have to fit myself into a certain box, and I’ve learned to doubt myself and hide my genuine self. My work narrates a journey from dissonance to confidence in three different areas: (1) Core Identity, (2) Internal Reflection, (3) External Input.
The center pieces represent my core identity, my absolute authentic self and beliefs, outside of judgement. Metamorphosis is of my gramma’s garden and represents the central part of my identity, that other components gravitate around. My gramma and her garden represent familial connection, which is an integral part of my identity. The Kids will be Alright, with two kids playing gender-bended dress up, portrays my playful, child-like self that believes in a world with freedom of gender expression. Finally, Eggy, a painting of a friend as an egg, celebrates individuality and shows I value joy and humor over aesthetic.
The next area is internal reflection and how you view yourself. I’m Fine. shows internal struggle, and the pressure to appear happy and the discordance between how you present and how you genuinely feel, and the oppression of genuine emotion. In contrast, Try Me takes inspiration from black women who wear their natural hair, and have such self-confidence, and shows a fully confident woman that reveals and accepts her true, authentic colors.
External Input is another area that pertains to how external perspective and views can impact your individual sense of self. Extra Sensitive shows how outside influences can overwhelm women to fit in traditional roles of femininity, by representing the Five Traditional Senses as typically feminine objects. In contrast, That B*tch shows Lizzo, a plus-size black singer, fully confident in herself, despite how much criticism she receives as a public figure.
The placement represents a journey of self discovery and rediscovering the core of my identity. The pieces move from struggle on the left, passing through my core identity, and confidence on the right. This illustrates how to get to confidence, I have to remind myself of my core values to ground myself in my genuine self. While completing these artworks I learned how much I value self-expression, but not just for myself, but also others, and that my artwork can be a vessel for advocacy and positive change.