Artist Statement

          Through my art, I was inspired to answer the question of how to find the beauty within the broken. My art is a reflection of the internal brokenness we all encounter. I strived to push the viewer to think and feel when viewing my pieces in a different light. I truly dived into answering the concept of the beauty found in brokenness. While using a plethora of new materials, new surfaces and going outside of my artistic comfort zone, I have gained a clear sense of the brokenness that lives within all of us. Through motifs such as mirrors and reflective materials, I urge the viewer to see their raw reflection and accept it for who they are, ultimately inspiring them to practice self-love. The broken mirrors are not only symbolic of humanity’s internal brokenness, but also represent my challenge for the viewer to break their prior notions of beauty standards. In today’s media-rich society, we are constantly surrounded by unachievable expectations that breed tolerance for the habit of comparison. It becomes clear throughout my pieces the brokenness of society due to technology and specifically social media’s image on the standards of beauty. Though many of my pieces are intentionally fragmented there is still an underlying sense of unity upon looking. This is symbolic of how anyone’s broken pieces (their past, habits, mistakes, fears, etc) can fit back together to create something beautiful. 

          Through this process, I have gained new insight through my practice and experimentation that was ultimately guided by my intention and desire for viewers to ponder my guiding question as well as develop questions about the brokenness in their own lives. Through my sustained investigation, I have shown evidence of practicing different techniques, experimenting with different ideas and revising ideas based on the feedback of others. My pieces show clear evidence of my practice and improvement in honing in on my painting skills and developing new techniques as well. My guiding question truly developed the concept for all my pieces due to my intention to elaborate on such brokenness in modern-day life.