I Pop Stitches to Reassess the Damage

Shown at ICOSA Gallery in the group show- Braided Waves of Memory. I Pop Stitches to Reassess the Damage explores objectification through non-traditional self-portraits, reflecting dualities within myself. The young doe, two-headed cow, and mare represent fragmented aspects of my identity. These animals are dignified and strong, yet all three of them have been diluted by mankind. Deer are tracked and hunted for trophies, horses’ spirits are broken down for show, and two-headed cows, in their short lives, are exhibited as oddities, then taxidermied as curiosities. They symbolize the smothering experience of ruminating on conventional attractiveness—being nailed down by ribbon, a delicate material, but unable or unwilling to fully tear free. The animals are in distress, yet there is a sense of resignation to their fate. This piece is about mending my fractured identity, and coming to terms with my internal distress. Although these figures evoke feelings of confinement, they have cultivated a free space for me to question identity and autonomy through uninhibited expression