Burning Timeline

From the Artist: When I look back on the past, I view it with a tender, melancholic appreciation. This was a time when I was unknowingly lost and fearful, unable to step into myself because I couldn't define who that person was at all. I was accustomed to an identity that relied on others, tumultuously fluid with their interests and needs. Considering how I view myself currently, that person is a stranger who I often wish to bury. I have gained a much higher level of introspective reasoning and confidence since then which has resulted in the utmost fulfillment. I’ve battled with my insecurities, urges to reject my Asian culture, and my gender identity. In being more secure with these parts of myself, I’m free. And yet, I cannot live fully in the present without acknowledging the ashes of the past, the way the present burns bright because of them.
The mask portion on the top of the sculpture represents the past, made to look burned with missing pieces and old pictures where my face is missing. Hung from the mask are layers made from recent photos that collectively merge into a pair of hands.