“Don’t Hold Back” expresses my desire to cut myself away from a past version of myself, and engage with my environment, allowing me to uncover my true passions and identity and transition back to my natural self. I was previously trying to force myself to remain in an untenable relationship, denying myself change and growth. I felt confined in this relationship, but it was all I had known. These collages are an expression of finding the strength to start again, making a new space for myself where I can exist harmoniously with my environment. 

The materials used for these collages originate from vintage magazines and books from the 1940s to the 1980s. The depictions of women in print media from this time were one-dimensional, so I removed them from their restrictive context and placed them in a new setting, surrounded by nature. When it is time for a change, I feel it is best to return to nature, for it is comforting to actualize how large the scale of the world is when I feel trapped in my life. I searched my archives to find figures of women that represent myself being cut away from what I’ve known, and placed into the unknown. The connection between the figure and the environment is continuous and natural. This series finalizes each collage piece in a photograph, utilizing the tactile and physical nature of collage as an art form by capturing a three-dimensional piece in a two-dimensional photograph.