The portrait is personally an interesting subject to me, through my studies I've come to place more emphasis on exploring the presentation of self; the different ways we portray ourselves to others, the different faces we wear, as opposed to having a fixed identity. Erving Goffman’s dramaturgical notion of the self is one of context, of a sense of who one is as a dramatic effect emerging from the immediate scene being acted out. His theatrical metaphor explains that we present ourselves to one another based on cultural values, norms, and beliefs.
Our ‘selves’ are ultimately a presentation to get other actors to see us as we wish to be viewed. This concept of curating an identity is reflected in the fragmentation of the composition; a traditional portrait surrounded by floating, contrasting elements which draw the eyes all across the canvas.
These portraits are also a stylistic and conceptual experiment in avoiding and subverting the male gaze. In these pieces, I combine three-dimensional elements of traditional portraiture with two-dimensional painted collage features to create multi-dimensional, colourful portraits that reflect the energy radiated by the women's strong, and sometimes averted, gazes.