Charcoal on paper
From the exhibition Between Forms
There is a quietness that comes when the different parts of ourselves begin to settle.
Gathered Self feels more composed to me. The figure is still loosely drawn and not entirely defined, but she no longer appears to be struggling against her own form. The body feels grounded, contained and more certain of the space it occupies.
There is strength here, but it isn't the kind of strength that comes from bracing or holding everything together. It feels softer than that.
Throughout Between Forms, many of the figures exist in states of strain, fragmentation, uncertainty and transition. Here, something has begun to settle. The lines still overlap and the head retains some of the tangled quality that appears elsewhere in the collection, but they belong to a figure who seems increasingly comfortable within herself.
For me, Gathered Self is about integration.
Not returning to exactly who you were before, and not arriving at some perfectly resolved version of yourself. Rather, it is the gradual gathering together of what remains, what has changed and what has emerged along the way.
The figure doesn't need to be completely defined to feel whole.
She is simply more settled within her own form.
