This cohesive comes from a desire to explore the concept of one’s reputation. Drawing inspiration from a Venetian Masked ball, this portfolio represents how one’s introduction, more often than not, involves a one-dimensional label derived from a single, prominent trait/concept that seemingly defines their life. As reputation precedes oneself, we realize slowly that we don’t quite know who is who—including ourselves—much like at a masked ball. Our reputation eats away at what truly makes us unique and turns us into shallow, skeletal entities known for a singular concept.

I started my amateurish dive into physical art through creating masks unique to each one of my subjects. There are multiple items attached to the mask, and the reader interprets who this person is based on their core items that represent either their personality or reputation. This guesswork creates a blurriness of understanding who one truly is, causing a sense of uneasiness—more so for the people that actually know the subject—because a sense of reality and security is ruined by the introduction of possibly unfamiliar items. Although the mask physically hides the subject, emotionally, the subject is all there, and I hope to expose the nature of perception and singlemindedness with which some people view each other.