← Return to From Afar: 2020 Senior Art Exhibition
I create paintings, drawings, and prints in order to articulate my self-image, anxieties, and insecurities based on my current stage in life. In regular social interaction, I find it difficult to communicate in a mode where I allow myself to be emotionally vulnerable. As both an artist and an individual, I am concerned about others' perceptions of me. More specifically, I worry about the fact that I cannot know exactly what others think of me. I use art as a means to bridge this gap and create an avenue for the viewer to come to a deeper, more intimate understanding of who I am.
I continue the legacy of the artist’s self-portrait in my work in order to create a definitive depiction of myself. In my three-part painting series, Self-Portraits at the Age of 20, I assert myself as a feminine male that is content with his body image. These portraits derive from photographs and are emotionally candid, making them feel rooted in reality. I take this approach so the viewer can become more emotionally connected to the subject.