ARTIST: Aliya Cacanindin
MEDIUM|DIMENSIONS|DATE: glass beads, thread | 2x 4 | 2020
BIO/ARTIST STATEMENT:
Self-portraiture was never something I considered when beading, and posed an interesting challenge. My first design featured a wretched goblinoid thing, hunched over nothing, with owlish eyes frantically pleading for some kind of merciful release. This was an accurate depiction of what I think I look like when I’m beading. My second design was of my face. Just the face, glaring at me, complete with crown. It looked like me, but it didn’t feel like me.
The self portrait here is the third design. The face and mouth is too small to truly form a clear expression, and I decided to feature the article of clothing that is most comfortable for me, a voluminous coat. This full-body pose allowed me to present a casual, open persona. The staff, in shades of self-obscuring brown, says ‘Hermit?’. The hermit is one of my favorite tarot cards, which speaks of self isolation, introspection, and humility. I often think of myself as a hermit, hiding in my room with my hobbies and media. Reality is, of course, not as simple as that.