I hear I’ve got your eyes
Emulsion screenprint on glass
33 cm x 26,5 cm x 7,5 cm
Artist’s Statement
This artwork revolves around my current exploration of identity within the realm of my familial unit. It speaks to the longing for a relationship with my grandparents, who passed away a decade before I was born. I knew very little about the lives they led and had no access to information about them. I did not know what they looked like until recently. I have spent countless hours on ancestry websites, collecting as much information about them as possible. I recently acquired a few photographs of them after reconnecting with a family member, one of which I have incorporated into this artwork.
The use of glass as a surface speaks to the fragile and volatile nature of this exploration. It resembles both the emotional and physical cuts I have endured through this process. I have made use of distorted self-portraits as the foreground and background of the image. A photograph of my grandfather, edited to resemble a fingerprint, is suspended in the centre. The disconnected, upside-down eyes further relate to the confusion and lack of belonging I have experienced, not knowing anything about those who came before me, constantly in search of answers. I decided to use screen printing and black ink for this artwork, as it allowed me to replicate the black-and-white photographic images I was inspired by. The gaps between the panes of glass speak to the disconnect and isolation I have felt throughout my life, as the only grandchild who never met them.
Gallery
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