In the Fall of 2020, I began creating self-portraits with charcoal on paper. Focusing on my physical appearance, I paid close attention to accuracy, rejected distortion, and disregarded any sense of an environment in my compositions. However, I began to feel this limited the possibility for authenticity within these portraits.

By Spring of 2021, each composition now included an environment for my figure to exist in. The focus switched away from the exterior accuracy of the self and more towards capturing moments in time where my emotions could live. The environment became more important, along with the potential for expressive distortions. This has led to creating works that seek to represent the interior self. Moving forward, I will continue the exploration of personal identity through portraits of myself and others.