“Don’t Change”

The catalyst for this show was my looming 30 year high school reunion. These three 10 year increments allow me to take stock of the current version of myself.  Each year I move further and further away from who that version of me was. Though remnants still remain (the fidgeting of fingers when nervous, etc) to remind me that I’m not that far removed from who I was.

The compositions of these pieces all started out as a yearbook photo, but each deviated to become its own idea or reflection.  The title “Don’t Change” being a cliched line written in a yearbook, a quote that implies perfection at a young age,  but upon later inspection is a shuddersome notion.

The through line of all of these paintings are the multitudes we all contain, either at a given moment, or the ones we’ve shed along the way and the masks we put on and take off throughout the journey.

Here, the act of wearing shrouds is not a concealment but an art—an exploration that transcends the confines of societal expectation and peers into the kaleidoscopic mirror of human complexity. The art work stands as a testament to the transformative power of shedding skins, an homage to the myriad of veils that guide us toward the elusive destination of selfhood.

The images unfold as a series of layers, each starting with a watercolor portrait. Then by adding oil paint over top in an effort to capture the growth and the paradoxical beauty of donning masks to reveal the authenticity beneath. In this visual dance, we navigate the delicate balance between being genuine and the necessity for adaptation.