Masked Identity

Adolescence 

Teenage 

Today

In Process

           When I was younger, I felt as though my parents never understood me. I was always very creative and used my talent as an outlet for unwanted emotions. The first photo is representative of this stage in my life: adolescence.  As I got older, fights with my parents became more violent -- I would scream and threaten them with things I didn't mean. I constantly felt misunderstood and resentful towards them, blaming them for everything I thought had gone "wrong" in my life. Soon enough, I found myself engaging in talk therapy for "anger issues" and it wasn't long until the therapist was able to pinpoint the issue. Not only did I feel misunderstood, but I had been living undiagnosed with ADHD for a majority of my life. The second photo is representative of when I began medication. Today, I feel as though what was supposed to "help" me has done the exact opposite. By forcing me to focus, I lose my ability to let my mind wander. The third photo represents my struggle to successfully express myself through my artwork while medicated.
          The mask is made of 16mm wire covered in tracing paper and gel medium. The color was achieved with black and blue india ink. To add color, Christmas lights were inserted inside the mask.