Conceptual nominee

My series of work brings to light the daily inner battles some people face versus what they choose to project to the world. For me, it’s hard to put into words the constant mental obstacles that I hide from the world, and this series is a way of acknowledging that you never know what a person is going through. This series features intimate, vulnerable portraits that I chose to metaphorically show the feeling of hiding inner pain. The series uses physical objects to convey themes of struggling to escape from personal demons while lying to the world that you’re fine. In one photo, the use of long exposure digital photography illustrates the ghostly pain that hides behind the happy façade a person shows the world. Another photo displays the figurative cracked self-image one has through a literal fragmented mirror reflection. In other photos I used plastic wrap to portray the mental entrapment of society, and light projections and paper smiles to depict the show one puts on for other people to create the illusion that they’re okay. I want my photos to serve as a reminder that you never know what a person is going through, no matter how happy