Departure is my answer to two questions; what does it mean to live and what does it mean to die? I interpret these questions as nearly being one in the same and look to dive deeper into where they most overlap. The pieces are informed by my experiences as a transgender black man, the fluctuating state of my mental health, and how others in my life have been affected by these experiences. Each of these elements are in constant flux in my life, therefore the title Departure represents the idea of leaving one state to venture off to an unknown other. Ultimately, I find my exhibition to be a celebration of the transitive state between growth and decay.
The majority of my work is self-portraiture as I believe that only I can understand myself, and also, conversely, I can only understand myself. To draw others would be inauthentic to both their experiences and my own. I want the viewer to be anchored by specifically my way point in the world so that it can be understood that it is in motion throughout my works. To represent the “other”, considering that concept is an integral part of the exhibition, I default to symbolism and elements of collage.
Although many of the pieces deal with the themes of my anxiety, suicidal thoughts, and minor psychosis, I felt it best to express these subjects with the use of vibrant, glowing colors, and visuals that combine atomic time versus continuous states. These choices represent the acceptance of change, the fear of abandonment, and the desire to find solidarity, respite, and power within my experiences.