A Graduate School Art Project: Reflecting on Past Trauma through Religious Art

During my second semester at Jacksonville University, I was tasked with selecting a focus for six paintings. Admittedly, I procrastinated and only shared my proposal on the last day, as I was uncertain about what I wanted to work on. I had a few ideas floating around, from portraits of influential people to religious trauma. Given my ongoing internal debate, I ultimately decided to explore the latter.
My art teacher recommended that I create a timeline as a foundation for this series, which proved to be a challenging task. It took over two hours to identify six standout memories. While I'll keep the details of each one under wraps for now, I can reveal that the first painting is centered around accountability. I recall a professor who expressed confusion about why the LGBTQ+ community often hides their abusers and painful experiences. With this piece, I aim to hold them accountable, as well as those who spoke hurtful words to me during my childhood.

The painting is not finished but will be a series of six works.