Year: 2021

Medium: Charcoal on Bristol Paper
Dimensions: 12 × 16 in
Series: Fragments of Self

Overview

Reaches Out (Self-Portrait) is a charcoal drawing that reflects on identity in motion. The work considers moments where the self becomes aware of its own fragmentation and responds not by resolving it, but by engaging with it.

Conceptual Description

The self-portrait emerges through a structure of separated forms, similar to the fragmented surfaces explored in earlier works. Some parts of the body remain intact, while others drift apart or remain undefined. This fragmentation is not treated as loss, but as a condition of change.

A hand extends forward from the composition, introducing a restrained gesture of movement. The reach is subtle and unresolved. It does not suggest grasping or completion, but awareness and intention. The gesture marks a moment of engagement with the self as it exists, incomplete but present.

This work was motivated by a period of personal transition, when internal change became visible but unresolved. Rather than repairing or concealing fragmentation, the drawing allows it to remain open. The self is not fixed. It is forming.

Charcoal is used to maintain softness while preserving structure. Tonal variation allows the figure to remain grounded even as parts of it shift, reinforcing the balance between presence and instability.

Curatorial Context

Reaches Out positions self-portraiture as a space for observation rather than declaration. By placing the artist within a fragmented structure, the work acknowledges vulnerability without turning it into spectacle.

The drawing invites viewers to consider identity as something that expands through awareness and engagement, rather than completion.

Key Themes

self-reflection
identity in transition
fragmentation and engagement
vulnerability without resolution
becoming

Artist’s Note

This drawing came from recognising a moment where my sense of self was changing, but not yet settled. The reaching gesture reflects an attempt to engage with that state, without needing to resolve or define it.