Gift to Ava <3:
After getting to know Ava and getting to know her, I decided to make her a little pouch which was made with the primary usage of being an aromatic holder, however, it can also be used to carry any small object. One main reason being was for her to be able to cope with the stress and anxiety that she deals with and therefore, I wanted her to be able to have a soothing smell close to her at all times and know that I am there for her!
I decided to use a muslin fabric which allows for more aroma to diffuse through and used and inwards stitching and flipped the fabric inside out to have a seamless finish. Afterwards I added ribbons to the top hemmed section to create a drawstring closing which I customized with little bows to reflect her style and personality. On the first day that we met to go to the MET, we also fell upon a consignment store where we spent a lot of time looking around and shopping, which allowed me to get to know her tastes and interests more. Ava, stated that she loves being “girly” in the sense that she loves expressing her womanhood through the way she dresses and the artists she admires. One big takeaway was her love for bedazzling! (Hence the jeweled decorations on the pouch).
Through this process I really got to learn more about Ava and become friends with her, which I was not so sure would have happened if we had not gotten paired together. Therefore, I am very thankful for this experience.
Gift I received:
I received an amazing cylindrical box that was ordained with fish and sakura imagery. I am extremely happy with my gift as it is so personal and touches me that Ava genuinely made something so personal for me. Fish are my favorite and spirit animal, as a child my mother would call me her “little fish”, I am a pisces, and I grew up around the sea in the summer in Turkey I have always had a relationship with aquatic elements, hence the fish. Therefore, Ava’s gift felt very thoughtful. Furthermore, it was so well made and I use it on my desk to store my stationary. Furthermore, the fish plushy that I got is amazing and makes me very happy.
I am beyond thrilled that I was able to partner up with Ava and get to exchange such wonderful moments with her, which were the true gifts that I received from the project.
Ava’s portrait:
The portrait I made for Ava is a collage piece that is meant to reflect the true Ava without even having to see her. I wanted to capture her interests, aura, and overall aesthetic through imagery that is very fitting of her personality and interests. Furthermore, as I have seen in class and through my own experiences with Ava, she loves collaging and making art out of imagery that she finds and creates these compelling and thought provoking pieces. Therefore, as someone who has never experimented with collaging and this medium, I wanted to give it a try and capture a very “Ava” essence.
As the saying goes “the eyes are the gateway to one’s soul” and therefore, I made a cutout of an eye in the middle of my piece with the Barbie billiard iris ball is being held by two hands. The overall patchwork effect of the piece and cutouts are meant to represent Ava’s humor. Furthermore, as Ava loves feminine art, I wanted to incorporate empowering imagery, that is also fun and cheeky, similar to her own art making. Additionally, Ava and I both related on issues we have with our own bodies and I wanted to reflect the beauty of our bodies through the isolation of different body parts such as the facial features (eyes and mouths) and also the legs and hands that are bejeweled to show are valuable they are.
Furthermore, I wanted to continue to incorporate more feminine energy and imagery to the piece, which is why decided to bedazzle certain areas ir added flowers and little angels to capture her energy.
Moreover, I also wanted to incorporate the social injustices that women face, such as having to cover up and being shamed when showing too much of their body, whereas, men can get away with it more often. Therefore, the two hands at the corners of the piece are hiding or trying to hide the underwear of the two figures. However, I wanted to demonstrate it while still incorporating Ava’s wit and humor.
Therefore, through this piece I wanted to capture who the true Ava was and what she stands for by experimenting with a media that she is very familiar with and I am not, allowing me to be out of my comfort zone.
Reflection:
I am thrilled to have been able to do this project, especially with Ava. I was able to walk out with an amazing friend that I do not think I would have been able to before this. Furthermore, through the different sections of Bridge 2, I was pushed out of my comfort zone (stitching, collaging).
Collage is a medium that I have never been really interested in, which is why I also thought that it was a lazy way to create art. However, Ava changed my mind with her work and inspired me to use it for her portrait.
I realized how difficult composition is with the limited objects I had and also the scarcity of the material.
Nevertheless, I would love to continue developing this medium within my own art making and will continue to stay friends with Ava.