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Inertia
Ava Stading
Colored pencil and acrylic on multi-media paper, 18 x 18 in.
Inertia examines the psychological weight of silent suppression and the hollowed state of appearing “functional” while collapsing internally. This close-up depicts a porcelain doll with chalky skin, her face fractured by gold kintsugi cracks that symbolize trauma and resilient repair. While her features are molded into a mask of perfection, her bloodshot, vibrant eyes remain a raw window to inner turmoil. A suffocating void of black hair fills the background, representing the claustrophobic pressure to remain composed. The piece invites viewers to look past the surface and acknowledge the endurance of a soul held together by threads.
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Influence of a Feast
Ava Stading
Acrylic on canvas, 9 x 12 in.
This artwork depicts a lavish dinner feast where a group of world leaders is gathered around a table, featuring a roasted pig gagged with an apple as the centerpiece. In a striking compositional choice, all the men stare directly and unnervingly at the viewer. The piece is designed to uncover the hidden tensions of the global elite, exposing the eerie, almost cult-like behavior inherent in these exclusive gatherings. By confronting the audience with their unsettling gaze and the overt symbolism of the gagged pig, the artwork ultimately explores complex social constructs and the overarching themes of silencing and systemic suppression.
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Warmth Held Still
Ava Stading
Colored pencil, 18 x 13 in.
This artwork depicts a lone, black-and-white puppy backed into the corner of towering, gray brick walls. The composition relies on stark visual contrast, emphasizing the isolation of the primary subject against a dull, oppressive background. Symbolically, the puppy’s white fur represents untainted purity and innocence, while its forced positioning in the corner highlights a feeling of profound vulnerability within a strange environment. The massive gray walls stretching endlessly beyond the frame embody the rigid, unrelenting structures of society. Ultimately, the piece explores how these imposing societal confines restrict individual growth, trapping innocence within an overwhelming and unyielding framework.
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To Reach Out, To Lose
Isabella Greenlee
Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 16 in.
Finally delving fully into the theme of loss, this piece uses space to emphasize the feeling of reaching out just to barely miss. The blue void of the canvas, while it still features plants from my original piece in the foreground, evokes a sense of emptiness. The disembodied hands being the subject only adds to this feeling.
Featuring the hands of Em and Vi, this project outright references the death of Vi. With the same unnatural skin-tones as the last project, life and death sit next to each other, one trying to pull the other awake but so afraid to touch.
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A Touch of Loss
Isabella Greenlee
Acrylic on canvas, 16 x 20 in.
Dipping into themes of both love and loss, this work highlights the transition of grief. The acrylic painting emphasizes the unrealital aspect of losing somebody you hold dearly.
With two girls–Em and Vi–laying in opposite directions, painted with unnatural skin-tones and blending into the plants surrounding them, this piece pushed the boundaries of reality and its perception. Em, the curly-haired girl, the girl who lives, is painted with a reminiscent and bittersweet expression. Vi, the girl with short hair, the girl who dies, leans away with an almost peaceful expression and skin that looks more like rot than plant matter.