ARTIST STATMENT MY MASK IS A REPRESENTATIVE OF HOW MY LIFE HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY THE IDEA OF BEING PERFECT AND FOLLOWING THE EXCEPTION AND DOING WHAT EVERYONE HAS TOLD YOU TO DO. I HAVE USED ALL THESE IDEAS TO MAKE A MASK THAT REPRESENTS ME. I STARTED OFF BY ADDING WORDS CUT OUT FROM MAGAZINES TO REPRESENT ALL THE THINGS THAT ARE SAID THAT MAKE GIRLS AND WOMEN FEEL THAT THEY HAVE TO LOOK OR ACT A CERTAIN WAY SO THAT THEY MEET AND “RULES” OF BEING A FEMALE. I HAVE DONE THE SAME THING ON THE BACK, INSTEAD OF WORDS THAT TELL YOU WHO YOU HAVE TO BE, THEY ARE WORDS THAT ARE THE REALITY. WHO YOU TRULY ARE AND THAT NO ONE BUT YOURSELF SHOULD GET TO CONTROL YOU. FOR MY SECOND SYMBOL, I CHOSE TO ADD THE COLOR PINK BECAUSE I FEEL IT IS A STEREOTYPE THAT WHEN YOU'RE BORN YOU ARE WRAPPED IN A PINK OR BLUE BLANKET BASED ON YOUR GENDER. BEFORE YOU ARE BORN YOU WILL GET CLOTHES THAT MATCH YOUR GENDER AND PEOPLE WILL BUY YOU TOYS AND YOU WILL WATCH SHOWS AND MOVIES BASED ON YOUR GENDER SO BY ADDING THE PINK ON THE FRONT I AM SHOWING ALL THE STEREOTYPES PLACED ON KIDS AT A YOUNG AGE WHICH JUST FURTHER SHOWS HOW YOUR LIFE IS CONTROLLED BY PEOPLE WHO AREN'T US. ON THE BACK OF MY MASK, I HAVE CREATED THE IDEA OF SOMEONE CRYING BUT HOLDING A SMILE OVER THE MOUTH TO SHOW THAT YOU HAVE TO HIDE WHO YOU REALLY ARE AND THE PRESSURE IS SOMETIMES JUST TOO MUCH AND YOU CAN'T KEEP IT IN ANYMORE. MY MASK SHOWS REALITY VERSUS EXPECTATION OF A GIRL'S LIFE AND HOW PEOPLE WHO AREN'T YOU CONTROL WHO YOU ARE AND WHAT YOU LOOK LIKE AND HOW YOU ACT, AND HOW HARD IT IS TO HIDE EVERYTHING FOR EVERYONE AND WHO YOU TRULY ARE.