Physiognomy

Watercolor and Acrylic on Bagasse

58 x 58 x 17 cm

January 2015

This piece is on the perception of identity. Inspired by the artists Andrea Dezso and Michael Murphy, I chose to create a large tunnel book, with multiple layers made from thick bagasse paper. I created the piece so that the outside seemed like a normal white box, with a small carving of a girl. The girl represents me, and how people see me. The gimmick of this piece is that it can be viewed from many angles, just like one’s identity. Each angle creates a different view, but rarely does anybody actually get to fully see one’s true identity, represented by the world inside.

I chose to create a world/forest of color and simplicity, minimality and bizarreness to show my true identity. Elements and symbols of my favourite things are also present. I also added lights around and behind the frames, to create more shadows and depth. I feel that my composition and colors are good, but there are some technical issues still off. Each frame/layer isn’t exactly the same size, making it hard for me to create a box from around them. Also, I should’ve used a different material for the frame to create more sturdiness and to make sure that the piece doesn’t fall apart later.