In Our Family Portrait, We Look Pretty Happy

In Our Family Portrait, We Look Pretty Happy Mixed Media 50.75” x 41.375” x 11.375” 2020
This series focuses on my experiences growing up in a dysfunctional household. Through mixed media, I have recreated aspects of that environment to work through residual issues in a healthy manner. I have created seven rooms in the house, two of them interactive to the viewer. The home is meant to look unnaturally empty and uncomfortable. There is sparse to no furniture in some rooms and others fully furnished, while the walls and floors are consistently furnished. The rear wall acts as the work for five of the rooms, while the entire space is enacted in two.
This work focuses on the dichotomy between the appearance and actuality of one’s home life. The imagery and color pallet allude to unwanted presences and events in my life and illustrate the sharp contrast between the appearance and reality of my home life and every aspect of the work has an important meaning and purpose. My work represents my traumatic childhood and the process of recovery that came from recreating it.