I see myself not as a singular identity but as a kaleidoscope of experiences—shaped, broken, and reassembled in a constant, cyclical process of becoming. A portrait isn’t just a static likeness; it’s a collection of fragments, each carrying its own moment, that together form a dynamic whole.
In Shards: A Self-Portrait, I explore this cyclical process of breaking and reassembling, reflecting the rhythms of life itself, a form of evolution and self-discovery. Using Polaroid emulsion lifts, I transferred images of the things I hold dear onto glass bottles, creating physical representations of pieces of my identity. By shattering these bottles and photographing the shards, I captured the inherent jagged edges that are created through these experiences—which also shine and create a vision of beauty. Through imperfection, resilience is necessary to rebuild and strengthen something that remains turbulent within the chaos of process. I gave up control, and gave in during the creation of this work.
Emulsion lifts are delicate and unforgiving. I tossed the glass bottles from various heights and distances to imitate what life does stochastically. Each shard is a memory, which becomes a “portrait,” representing a fragment of who I am, while the larger composition of all the shards together symbolizes the unity that emerges from reconstruction. The physical action of creating this work, What is broken is what is. And there is nothing wrong with that. It just is apart of life. This project embodies the human experience—moments of breaking that feel insurmountable, followed by the durability and creativity required to reassemble ourselves.
I invite viewers to reflect on their own journeys of healing, recognizing the mosaic of their experiences and the beauty that comes from embracing imperfection.