In conclusion to my project, ‘Obscured Rebirth’ based on the theme of ‘Time’, I am really proud of what I created this semester. I have pushed myself out of my usual comfort zone of painting, tried and succeeded at several new practices such as: taxidermy, sculpting and weaving for the cobweb-style spiral that I hung my butterflies from. I think that my installation was a real success. It turned out to be everything that I had wanted to create and more, and I think it displayed a culmination of all my research, exploration, experimentation, and creativity from the last few months in the form of an artwork that was unbelievably personal and meaningful to me. So much time and hard work went into each aspect of my project, and the outcome that I got to exhibit to the public was something I found impressive and quite emotional. I created what I had set out to at the start of the project; I made something personal, original and in my opinion, thought-provoking that both honored Cherry’s life and her spiritual journey in death to what I now believe to be her deserved eternal peace. Cherry brought so much happiness into my life, and I channeled my love for her into developing this project and so I hope that she would be proud of me and what I have achieved. I have learned a lot this term too. I found that not trying to rush into any single idea and taking a step back from your work when you need to, really does help inspire new and more interesting ideas that are better than the previous, even if you were sure of the original. Trial and error have also been a big part of my project, as with trying so many new practices there were definitely setbacks both literally and also with my confidence in myself to be able to succeed, but I was persistent, and I knew what I needed to do to create the work that I am now so proud of. I feel that the TAKEOVER was a big step forward in my developing career as an artist; there was so much individual thinking and preparation to complete to be a part of the event, and next year I hope to be more involved in the planning and organizing of the event itself, as now I feel much more comfortable with the process. Showing my work in such a well-known art gallery was a really great opportunity too and it is something I will look forward to and work towards every year. Finally, in terms of how this project has helped me gain a more optimistic outlook on life, I no longer fear death as I used to, as if butterflies can retain such life in death there is no guarantee that it is the end for the soul. I’m feeling better everyday and my journey through the making of this project has allowed me to express my thoughts, fears, and emotions through my art, which is refreshingly uplifting and beautiful.
