Integrative Studio 2
Project 1: Sankofa Self-Portrait
A 2D abstract, symbolic self-portrait that can express my personality and my present that is shaped by my past. Data visualizations include sources ranging from elements that I use a lot, personal memories to objects that can represent me.
Sketch
I first sketched my self-portrait in pencil on a piece of paper.
Collage
Then I used Photoshop to make a collage out of fish scales.
Final Project
I mainly used the element of fish to complete my self-portrait. I started to use fish because I used to add the element of fish to my WeChat profile picture, so I chose fish subconsciously. Then I began to think about the composition and the character and emotion I wanted to express.
My head is a fish tank, and the water in the fish tank is flowing out. I am a very emotional and sensitive person and my thoughts about the world overflow like water in a fish tank. At the same time, I think the fish in the fish tank represents my personality — the desire for freedom. My eyes and mouth are also made of fish, which in my paintings represent the fish jumping out of the fish tank, finding their own freedom and trying their best to participate in the world, to see and to participate in the discussion of the world.
I was also influenced by the TEDTalk discussion of the left and right brains. As I have written in the discussion, the relationship between our left and right hemispheres is the same as the relationship between our exterior and our insides. My self-portrait also shows a relationship between my inner self and my outer self. I’m not the same inside and out, there are same elements.
In the process of painting this self-portrait, I discovered the charm of collage. This is an element that can enrich my works. Maybe I will try to use collage more in the future. The coloring process was a bit difficult for me —- I drew the draft in pencil, which I will try to avoid in the future. I think this self-portrait is a good expression of my personality —- I always have a lot to think about, and anything can trigger my thinking. At the same time, because of the epidemic, I have been in my hometown for more than two years. I am eager to leave my hometown like a fish in a fish tank eager to leave the fish tank, to see the world. This self-portrait sums up my past few years and is also my vision for the future —- to continue to think about and care about everything in the world and see more of the world.
