i have myself to look up to - out for, 2024

I Have Myself to Look Up To - Out For illustrates a friend of mine’s journey to sobriety. 

The three faces of this figure (right to left) represent feeling stuck and lost in one’s patterns, acceptance and dedication to growth and change, and the freedom, light, and hope that comes with progress. Orange lilies, representing a newfound understanding of one’s identity in my work, grow from and around the figure, appearing dried and brambly at the bottom while getting increasingly more vibrant as they grow upwards. Buds hang within the figure’s field of view as a promise of flowers in the future, and light beams shine from the eyes of all the faces because hope was always present in every step of this journey, even if it couldn’t be seen.

Closing your eyes in the darkness doesn’t show you anything other than such, but closing your eyes in the sunlight will reveal to you the glow of your own skin.