Wound Series

Exploration of wounds through abstract figurative painting.

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This series explores the physicality of wounded bodies through painting. In a broader sense, I was reflecting on the nature of how physical and psychological trauma impacts our ability to be vulnerable with one another. The series culminated with a 16-foot-tall painting installation and written thesis on contemporary figurative painting, excerpted below:

“Why do people suffer? After all, suffering in life seems inevitable and discriminates against no one. So why then, do we feel the need to conceal our wounds from others? In other words, why might we hesitate to reveal the pain that we hide?

Perhaps we have a problem with vulnerability. We live in a culture where imperfections are frowned upon and social media profiles refrain from sharing anything but the best of our lives—recent vacations, weddings, the most delicious meal I had for lunch yesterday… The problem with filtering ourselves this way is that we tend to ignore or even numb our painful experiences. Some may say that by focusing on the positive, we ultimately live more optimistic and fulfilling lives. I believe painful memories and experiences of suffering still exist even when we direct our attention elsewhere, unless we confront them through self-processing and being vulnerable with one another.

This series explores vulnerability based on two observations: first, that wounds are physical, but also internal and highly personal, and second, that people hide wounds just like they hide intimate body parts. With these ideas in mind, I paint close-up distortions of intimate flesh in vibrant red hues and gritty textures. I “wound” the surface of each panel or canvas through cuts with the palette knife, scraffito, hot glue overlay, and pumice paste. These acts reveal the physicality of wounded skin, fragile yet rough. By stripping the body of identifiable features such as eyes or a face, I invite the viewer to psychologically enter the work and consider universal sensations of pain.

By recognizing that we all suffer and share some fear of vulnerability, we might question our choice to conceal or reveal pain. Do we have the courage to be vulnerable with one another?”