Identity Informed Then Performed

Abstract

The concept of identity is constructed by societal means, and for the individual, it may be interpreted in many ways. Identity can be recognized by external means such as the clothes a person chooses to wear, but it can also be internal, as personal as one's spiritual practice. For my own understanding of identity, I was in search of an autonomous version of successful self. However, it is difficult to be completely free of cultural expectations, and I have discovered autonomy is not necessarily the answer. A healthier version of self is the ability to identify with one another. One's own uniqueness, or characteristics that separate the individual from norms, may be understood as positive in a group. I seek positivity for the individual who does not fit standards seen in American culture. My creative output derivative of society's input on the individual is addressed through a series of heads. This body of work is being used as a platform to discuss identity in terms of healthy and unhealthy versions of the self. The human head is complex. It is responsible for our ability to think, perceive, feel, problem solve, create, and communicate. These cognitive traits enable a sense of uniqueness. Similarly, we all share the same attributes such as eyes, nose, mouth, but are all formed in a way that set us apart from others. Each head created is distinct in attributes as well as narrative. The narratives discussed are a critique of societal expectations in hopes of communicating relatable values to belong and identify in the world.