RESILIENCE SERIES

What is resilience?

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One of the most beautiful characteristics of being human is our capacity to be resilient. Resilience is the ability to recover and adjust after difficulties or misfortunes; to be broken or knocked down and in return, choosing to rise again. Yet, we live in a society that encourages us to hide. We are encouraged not to let ourselves be too affected by our emotions, to conceal them so that we do not disturb those around us. In this series, I challenge this mindset of hiding. I created a space in which I let myself be fully affected by the energy and attitude radiating from my subject as an individual. I am allowing others to be a witness to my outcomes; to be witness to the intimate nature of being resilient.

I investigate the phenomenon of resilience through portraiture and abstract paintings. I explore what it looks like, what the stages are, the different attitudes and responses to facing a setback. I explore this concept through color, gesture, and mark-making. The abstract paintings exist in a space of their own to emphasize that emotions are valid in themselves. However, by pairing the abstract with a portrait creates a powerful statement of owning your emotions. 

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