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2018 · 13” × 6” × 5” · Bronze casting of my own thigh.
Preserved confronts the complicated relationship between the body, vulnerability, and self perception. Cast from my own thigh in bronze, the work permanently preserves a part of my body that I once considered my greatest insecurity.
Bronze has the ability to outlive its maker by thousands of years. By choosing such an enduring material to immortalize something I once wanted to hide, Preserved transforms insecurity into permanence. What began as a source of shame becomes something worthy of being remembered, challenging the impulse to hide the parts of ourselves we have been taught to see as flaws.
Preserved
2018. 13 X 6 X 5"“. BRONZE CASTING OF THIGH.
Self-mutilation is a theme that dominates not only the world of mental health, but also sources a majority of my subject matter. In most cases, scars remain as a reminder of previous pain, either empowering an individual or even haunting them. The stigma surrounding self-harm is notoriously brutal, and as a result, those bearing their battle wounds feel forced to conceal their scars and bear their shame.
Bronze is one of the longest lasting art mediums, potentially lasting thousands of years and outliving their creators. This piece is symbolic of a mental barrier I personally found necessary to conquer. Specifically in an attempt to strongly communicate the beauty in one's personal experiences and to effectively communicate that our wounds stand not as a disgrace, but rather as proud reminders of a victorious battle. In this piece, I immortalize the essence of my own vulnerability as I preserve my greatest insecurity eternally in bronze.