Dispelled
Artist Statement About the Artist Acknowledgements
The Changing Mirror, 2025
Acrylic on canvas
24” x 18”
Acrylic on canvas
24” x 18”
Mirror mirror on the wall
Do you know who I am at all?
Yes, yes I do, in complete thrall
At last, acceptance brings crystal rainfall
The Changing Mirror was the title of my college admittance essay, which detailed my personal experience of what it was like for a twelve-year-old to finally look in the mirror and accept myself as I am: gay (and it just so happens this year marks a decade since that life freeing moment). Since writing that essay five long yet short years ago, the mirror has continued to shift and evolve, as it does for us all. The physical mirror is one we can all see, but the intimacy of our internal mirror is often something we are too afraid to show - even to ourselves. However, when we do, when we finally accept all that we are - including our insecurities - it's then, and only then, that every next step can be taken in love.
This painting is a detailed recreation of my current room (with some fantasy editing), mirrored as if you, the viewer, are standing in the very same position, gazing into the glass I look into daily - including the day I came out to myself. Throughout the space, multiple facets of my identity are celebrated via various personal items that help make up my mirror: the daily rosary that lays softly against the bed, the crystal apple on the nightstand that will one day sit on my classroom desk, shelves filled with books, a stuffed animal showcasing childhood play (and my love for dogs), and resting atop the bookcases is the crown that I metaphorically put on everyday.
Our memories and values are often reflected in our material possessions, and in this painting I share just one intimate snippet of my personal space - both literally and symbolically - that perhaps you will share your own, if you haven't already, with the person who needs it most: yourself.
What makes up your mirror?
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