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- Spring 2015 -

Mirrors do not always reflect the individual standing before them. While it is clear the image looking back is an accurate depiction of reality, what lays beyond the reflection is hidden from the world. Every individual has a story, but these stories are not made apparent just from outside appearances. The way in which someone presents him or herself allows for other’s to make judgments, inferences, and connections to them. However, teens often inaccurately present themselves to the world out of fear or shyness. People tend to naturally hide much of their personal backgrounds and real feelings, but instead present the person they want to be seen as by their peers. I understand that this misrepresentation of identity and true self is not explicitly seen in high school, but young adulthood is a critical time for self-discovery and therefore makes this tendency more common.

My work represents the idea that the individual seen from the outside is not a true depiction of the person as a whole. Everyone is made up of different bits and pieces that come together to create this whole. Not all pieces fit together perfectly or look realistic, but no one is actually as perfect as they appear to be. Over time, more and more pieces are created, as this search for identity and purpose has no fixed ending. Some bits are concrete though, since they have laid the foundation of an individual. My permanent fragments thus far are my family, which is a strong force in my life and has immensely influenced my identity and how I choose to present myself to the world. I am still a collection of pieces though, nowhere close to a finished whole. Some bits have found a permanent place, but I remain in a continuous search for more in order to determine which fit and which don’t. The various shapes of my images, the presentation, and sizes represent the different roles each fragment plays in an individual identity. Although each piece is a self-portrait, I am only a representation of all teenagers’ endless search for identity and their inevitable struggle of truthfully presenting themselves.