Childhood

Artist Statement: I chose to do this piece on the personal experience of wanting a happy childhood. Childhood is one of the earliest things someone experiences and it’s entirely out of their control, even as it paves the way for the rest of their life. Despite the importance of this period, many do not receive the foundations they need and end up with experiences that may cause them to be affected negatively. It’s a common theme that those who don’t have sufficient time, love, or support in their youth have trouble finding them later on, missing out on a key part of development. After one grows up in this sort of circumstance, there may be a struggle of wanting to be able to experience a better childhood, although it is now impossible to turn back the clock. I wanted to depict this struggle in this piece by showing a figure pinning and taping a small version of herself down to a child’s drawing. The drawing isn’t a real photo because the figure is attempting to place herself in a situation that never existed, and the small version is struggling against it because of the knowledge that she has to move forward and find her own path. I prepared for this piece by gathering reference photos and finding a drawing I did as a kid to derive off of.