Title: Addiction
Size: 44”x27”x18”
Created: 2020

The masks are allegorical in content, representing abstract chemical responses within the human brain. Each mask is titled either by a theory concerning the human condition or by the name of a chemical produced within the brain. These naturally occurring chemicals are believed to influence our emotional and behavioral responses, shaping how we act within the conditions of human existence.

However, these chemical processes can be altered by the introduction of “chameleon chemicals”—substances not naturally produced by the body that can imitate, disrupt, or redirect the brain’s natural chemical responses. As a result, our actions and perceptions may move in directions that are disconnected from their original intent.

In the case of the mask titled Addiction, the concept centers on the consequences that can arise from our choice to alter the chemical balance within the brain. The mask becomes a physical representation of this internal process: an attempt to give form to something that is otherwise invisible. Through concrete form, I have created a portrait of addiction as both a chemical response and a consequence of human choice.

Paper Mache construction with feathers, yarn, sea shells, and sticks. Painted with acrylic paint.