Who in the World am I, Who am I in the World

As I work to understand who I am becoming, making art allows me to understand who I have been. As soon as I discover who I am now, another beginning will have already started. Art actively visualizes that separation. I try to isolate moments, see the detail in the fragments and piece together a timeline of past selves. I spend a lot of time reflecting with my pieces, trying to understand what they are communicating to me, about me. I use art as a way to interpret the way I see and experience the world. Assessing the world around me in context to my understanding of myself. How did today change who I am and how I see the world? There is a lot to the human experience and our role in the universe that we don't understand. An artist makes work based on what they know. I find myself growing with my work. The more time I spend in this life the more things I am beginning to understand and realize. My work grows with me. Making art makes me feel like I have a purpose, like I exist. I exist to communicate and create connection. 

 

The physicality of the clay has more of a presence to me in terms of creating. Every inch of a sculpture is thoughtful and intentional. As we experience the world in three dimensions, reflection in a similar manner allows me to express thoughts and feelings in a tangible way. Clay is a constant battle between strength and fragility in regards to making and the material itself. It is a slow process that works on its own time. Patience and understanding is important when working through the stages of the material. In this medium, there is a lot of room for unexpected happenings, both good and bad. It has taught me both permanence and capitulation. You have to be prepared for things to break or turn out differently than you intended. The malleability and structure, fragility and strength, softness and hardness reflect the ideas/themes of identity, reflection and growth I work with.

 

I have spent my twenty one years in this life getting to know who I am and who I am not. Is there a point in our lives in which we truly know who we are? I feel like I am lifetimes away from that point. I am enjoying this process of getting to know my head and my heart. What I am passionate for, things I’m curious about, who I love, where I want to be, what do I question, what I long for, what I miss, what I dream about…

I feel that I often struggle with my identity. So often I am pulled in so many directions by the facets of who I am. My time is spent realizing who I am and how I fit between the worlds around me. This body of work explores the idea of self exploration, human variation, and connection.