Self Portrait - Denounce
This self-portrait is my entry into the ABC Portrait Artist of the Year competition.
The inspiration for the self-portrait came from a mask that I painted in an art therapy course. The teacher wanted us to consider how we think others perceive us and how we see ourselves.
On the outside of the mask, I painted a lotus flower, which holds cultural significance to Chinese and is also my favourite flower. It represents the qualities that I strive for: integrity, gentlemanliness, and a yearning for spiritual enlightenment.
Drips of red and black paint inside the mask are manifestations of impostor syndrome and the feeling of bleeding from the inside. This relentless self-criticism has suppressed my dream of becoming an artist for many years.
As a dancer, I have taken dramatic elements of stage performance and depicted myself emerging from a fog of self-doubt and moving into the future with calmness and quiet determination while rejecting the excessive self-criticism.
Taking part in this competition is a huge step for me, and it is a testament to this determination. I am seizing this opportunity to put myself out there and to find people who will appreciate my artwork.
“What strikes me most (in this self portrait) is that dynamic line, the diagonal line, that goes through his body to the mask that's held up in that red cloud and that really give us a sense of his interest in dance and movement and it brings the picture to life. So he's really brought movement into this picture and that's what I'm liking here.”
— Dr. Robert Wellington, judge of ABC Portrait Artist of the Year - Season 2; Art historian at the Centre for Art History and Art Theory - Australian National University