My thesis is an exploration of personal identity in contemporary culture through a series of sculpted masks. The masks represent three individuals whom I have a close, personal relationship with. Each person is represented in two masks. One mask represents how I see the person, and the other mask represents how they see themselves. How do we define identity? In other words, what makes you, you?

Symbolism, through color and form, is the most important element when making the masks. It is through symbolism that I am attempting to convey the essence, or the unique qualities and attributes, of the individual. Capturing the physical likeness of the person is unimportant, because I am visually expressing what is felt rather than outwardly seen.

Through the process of creating these masks and researching the idea of personal identity it has become clear that the ‘self’ is a very ambiguous thing. It is a very hard thing to truly know yourself, let alone someone else. My masks are as ambiguous as the subject itself.