The work in this series presents the underlying personas of women. Exploring identity as a theme, I channeled my findings through photography. My intent was to reverse the roles of internal and external perceptions. To accomplish this, I photographed the faces of women and manipulated their usual appearance so their internal vulnerabilities and emotions were visible to the eye. The pieces in this portrait series are personal explorations, but they are also public reflections. They are a reflection of the vulnerability within ourselves that we choose to hide from the world, and often, from ourselves.

The women I chose to depict show themselves to the world as ordinary people; they are young, stable women with seemingly bright futures, hopes and dreams. The reality, however, is that despite what an appearance may reflect, there is much more lurking beneath the surface. My goal was to bring these inner demons to the surface. Through the overlay of texture and abstraction in my compositions, I attempt to draw attention to the barriers, fears, and emotions that are shielded by the layers of personal masks we subconsciously put on everyday to guard the inner self. But despite my quest to bring forth the intimate turmoil that is often hidden by the outward beauty of these women, I also suggest a feeling of strength and control, consistently through the use of the color black.

Black is associated with the secretive, the unknown, and the hidden. It is the absorption of all color, the absence of light. But black is also associated with passion, power, and authority. I use black as the setting for each piece in this series to trigger these specific emotional elements. The integration of black in my work mirrors the powerful and personal voids within us. “Erasing Identity” represents the complexity of our individual interpersonal masked selves.

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