My Mind Is an Escape Room
“My Mind is an Escape Room” is a body of mixed media collage work created from 2019 to 2022, chronicling my experience with mental and physical illness, as well as struggles with body image and societal issues. For as long as I can remember, my brain seemed to work differently than most people I know, battling against itself, as well as the fears and thoughts that I often cannot seem to stop. I have never been to an “Escape Room,” and have joked that I have no interest in them, because “my mind is an escape room.” The one way out for me is the therapeutic process of making art.
Creating work encourages me to deep dive into history through the use of collected recycled imagery dated as early as the late 1800’s, such as vintage magazines and books. When examining advertisements, photographs, and texts throughout time, I observe how beauty standards and expectations in gender roles have shifted over the years. The evolution of the fields of medicine and science is also of particular interest to me. I simultaneously alter the stories of the images I find and infuse them with personal meaning. Creating wonderlands for women of the past to experience new lives serves as a source of joy for me. My work is playful or silly at first, but I hope viewers look beyond the glitter to reveal the deeper themes, and perhaps relate it to their own experiences. My work is a step towards the light for me, and I hope looking at it can provide a sense of magic and hope for others.
