Ceramic…Persona
This body of work began in 2015, inspired by my desire to explore the human form in a non-classical style. I wanted to create something more fun and playful. While I partially achieved this, the theme of "Persona" emerged, leading me to express myself in my usual serious and thoughtful way.
To me, "Persona" represents the masks we wear as our personalities develop — layers of beliefs about who and what we are. According to Carl Jung these masks are designed, on one hand, to make an impression on others, and on the other hand, to obscure one's true nature.
Consciousness wears many masks and the characters that I create are my imagination of these many personas.
persona
The harlequin pattern I use on many of these figures reflects the characters of the theater, particularly those from Commedia dell'Arte, which I find especially intriguing. In theater, it is the costume that creates the character, and the harlequin, in particular, represents illusion.
The fool or jester is another recurring theme in my work, symbolizing innocence and new beginnings. She is the one who has not yet developed any ego layers. She is before Persona.
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Brumfield Gallery is now Gold Coast Gallery in Cannon Beach, Oregon. You can purchase sculptures in the Persona series directly through them. www.goldcoastgallery.com