Final Exhibit Self Portrait

Painting a self-portrait never came easy to me, so I wanted to challenge myself to paint a large-scale canvas portrait as my final piece. Inspired by the seated collections by David Hockney, this portrait was difficult to do, separating my 19-year-old self from the gaze I would wish to be perceived as. Instead, I painted a raw, unfiltered picture of myself at home in my pajamas with my childhood cat, something close and personal to me.

This portrait was challenging, as it was an exposing feeling to see such a large-scale work of myself, and not necessarily an image I liked or would want others to see, being perceived by the eyes of many friends and strangers. In an age with the Instagram selfie and pressures around teenage girls always looking their best and having expectations placed upon them by society, I felt this portrait was an ode to trying to step out of this mold and expose a side of ourselves which is so personal. Even now, reflecting on this image, I struggle to look at it, but think it is a great way to desensitize yourself from this ideal of “picture-perfect images.”