Self Portrait

Ocean Vuong wrote that sometimes one is erased before they are given the choice of stating who they are. A tinted child in a society that deems whiteness as the ideal is taught that to be safe is to be invisible. The side in black & white reflects a childhood full of attempts to hide our skin, leaving us tired and empty in a world that will never fully receive us. The side in color is our half-completed selves, waiting for the other to realize that our stories make us who we are, that we are worthy and beautiful. How do we unlearn a belief that is reinforced every day of our lives? This portrait reflects the double-edged sword. 

Size: 10x11”

Medium: graphite & colored pencil