calcify I: Explorations of the performative persona (a work in progress)

Calcify is an exploration into wearable sculpture and my conceptualizing of “body extensions.” I am captivated by how people present themselves and the mechanisms they use to protect. endear themselves to, or understand themselves and the the spaces they inhabit. Through experimenting with resin and grown crystals over organic material, I seek to uncover how performative elements of society ossify into the persona. This concept is heavily linked to my BFA thesis and accompanying work “Fruits of My Labor,” (2024) in materials, yet more closely projected through the lens of body sanctity.

Materials: Grown crystals, organic material, textiles, fabric dye, and resin.

Here I seek to create work that emphasizes the momentary state in which it is both synthesized into existence and viewed. Hence, I have allowed the piece to grow white as the materials partially reclaim their natural hue (see below).