Abstract

I believe in the practice of empathy. Einfühlung is the ability to put oneself in the shoes of another and is the inspiration for this thesis exhibition. My work elicits emotion through sculptural representations of realistic facial expression, body language, and various contextual clues. My pieces are based on individuals I know personally and inspired by emotional states they have experienced viscerally. Through sharing these figures, which stand in for the people we meet in our everyday lives, my thesis offers a chance for reflection on the ways in which we empathically interact and coexist as members of the human race.