Song of Myself (2020-21) is an introspective series dealing with themes of identity, inspired by personal experiences. At the core of this project sits the playful nature of performance, the construction of narratives; character development and costuming are used as key catalysts for this visual storytelling. Although the work comes across as playful and humorous on the surface, most of the character development stems from personal trauma. Other inspirations for this work include societal expectations and gender roles, the construction of the American ‘nuclear’ family, poetry and other forms of literature and varying films and television shows.

As the work draws inspiration from the artist’s experiences, varying sectors of personality and life up until this point have been weaved into the practice. Facing difficulties with showing the camera her true self, characters are used to embellish tiny parts of  memories and personality, pantomiming her soul for the viewer to witness. She disguises herself physically but still explores this concept of self.

1. Societal Weight

2. Everyone Wants To Fly

3. Family Photo/Photo of Family

6. Defying the Darkness