#4. Self Portrait in Oil

This portrait initially sparked curiosity among my classmates, as they saw me everyday in very feminine attire with makeup. When asked why I painted myself in a more neutral appearance, I explained that I was still in a transitional period where I was trying to embrace my femininity, but I still spent decades and years rejecting it and trying to adopt a more masculine persona out of anger from personal trauma. The hollowed eyes were a subtle attempt at showing that I’d gone cold inside from my experiences and the prolonged rejection of them.