Blending In
Pieces of My Self-Portrait
2023
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I don’t draw or paint figures. However, the figures I drew, collaged, and painted in the series are my intuitive exploration, representing instances that were significant to me from childhood to motherhood. I needed to embed them with mandalas to narrate my stories.
This series became my first body of work as I emerged from the creative block I experienced in 2022.
I felt vulnerable, but it was freeing.
Blending In
Sometimes, circumstances become such that we keep our voices muted to blend in.
A couple of years after my dad's demise, my mother, younger siblings, and I moved to our maternal family home. I was fifteen, my brother was thirteen, and my sister was five. Although the family members were obliged to help, there were instances where we felt like a burden on their shoulders. It was a difficult phase for all four of us. My brother and I were separated from our mother and sister and lived in two separate households. It took nearly two years for us to stay together as a family until we found a tiny, happy home with the savings that my dad left for us.
A mandala at the entrance of homes is a sign of beauty, harmony, and wellness. It is swept up, blown away by the breeze, erased by the passing feet, nibbled on by insects, or washed away in the rain. The impermanence of a mandala represents our desire for a moment of fullness before fading. It symbolizes the notion that nothing in life is eternal. Yet, believing in ourselves helps us strive for wellness and happiness.
Medium
Mixed Media on cradled board
Image Size
6" H X 12" W X 1.5" D
The artwork is original and signed. The painting is varnished for protection, wired, and ready to hang. No framing is required.