Self Unveiled II

Exhibition Dates: 11 June 2005 to 9 July 2005

Artist Statement:

After a first successful exhibition based on the same theme, Part II of Self Unveiled places emphasis on the importance of the identities which people put upon themselves, alienation of self, and reflection on self.

There are numerous influencing factors that contribute to the ‘evolving’ self. A variety of social factors, from the increased role of the mass media in everyday life, to social movements, work and family, or perhaps, just the perspective of others, all contribute to forming one’s own self-identity. All these factors may slowly convince the inner self to change, sometimes without there being an awareness of the change or development of self. Multiple identities may emerge each one targeted at contrasting to, or fitting into a social environment. These identities within self are so multifaceted that the one ‘true’ self the ‘real me’ may get lost and be dissolved into the surroundings. Thus the veils that the self puts on as a shield or social clothing may become self and the true self is lost or absorbed into the ‘social’ self.

As Self engages a wider community of selves, social values, perspectives and opinions are transmitted and received. Alienation within self may slowly creep in where the individual is constantly reworking and reshaping the ‘social’ and ‘true’ self in response to the discursive environment they exist in. So the self is always evolving, traveling through a process of change and evolution without reaching a final conclusion, except perhaps the demise of the ‘true’ self.

In this exhibition, some paintings show the self as an invisible vessel that is only defined by the collected veils. What is stored in this ‘vessel’ of self is our core essence but can the vessel be visible without the veils?

This tries to show that while one cannot get an understanding of the meaning of life’s fulfilment from what our culture tells us fulfilment is – money, status, that new car, that perfect hair colour or certain brand of shoes, even that fabulous job we need these veils to help us to see the true self.

This raises the question of whether the self can truly exist without the veils. The veils are gathered through work, relationships, lifestyle, and beliefs. Can the world see self and can self sees the world without the veils?

The veils in the paintings allow the spectator to view from the outside to the inner self or from the inner self to the outside world.

Some works also show how the self seeks harmony and peace in the natural surroundings with images from the nature while others give a sense of surrealistic feel to the ‘true’ self.

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