Speak Up by Brenda Echeverry (@13.m.e). "The microphone is a special tool that I use to share my talent and express myself. The plants I keep in my home remind me that I am a life long learner, always growing. The mirror signifies consistent practice of self-reflection."
Mameyes by Emily Navarro (@emilyrose.artwork). "I swam in the sacred waters of Las Damas Pool in the Mameyes River. Men were not allowed to enter, only the women and children would bathe, wash clothes, or gossip. In Taino spirituality, all things are connected and alive, including rocks."
HomeMaker by Marie S Brown (@mariesbrown). "a mother of 2, in the kitchen, bent over a circular saw, cutting the stringer for a new staircase; the truth of work done, work being done, and work to be done exposed in the silent raw of sheathing and studs. a house being made into home."
Urban Monuments by LMerchie Frazier (@l_merchie). "Blank grey background is in consideration of our community as the subject of Black joy. We need no frills."
self portrait by Janet Kawada (@cameinlikeawrappingball). "We as humans are all made of skin and bones, yet we are all different. It's what we choose to show outwardly vs. our inner self. This piece combines many parts of my life into a spirit figure bringing the inside out."
freedom of speech by Jaypix Belmer (@jaypixmof). "the object including myself represents freedom of speech, perspective and a non binary identity. I chose to include this images because sharing perspective is my sure way of communicating . I found a way to gift positive transformations."
Shadow @ Dusk by Mary McGee (@mcgeedevi). "The hat and the shadow self-portrait are two signatures of mine. What do they represent: Is there something I’m trying to hide?"
Taste of Home by Silja Kallenbach (@SiljaKallenbach). "Sourdough rye bread is one of my favorite foods from my native Finland. You can’t get it in the US where I’ve lived for 47 years. My Puerto Rican wife learned how to bake it and made me a loaf to console me when I was recovering from surgery."
self-portrait in a lineage of art by Martin Nemzow. "The object is the fragmentation itself of the image. However the photograph of the framed portrait in the context of a gallery setting reinforces connection to other types of presentations, thereby providing continuity to our complex society."
My Soul aThrough the Looking Glass by Katarina Romanik (@ecstatic_yogini). "A partial reflection of my face in the mirror, surrounded by the objects that fill my tiny apartment and represent pieces of my soul - my paintings, my books, my little treasures and gifts from loved ones"
Untitled by Nami Yamaguchi (@namiyamitochi). "I included a self portrait I took when I was visiting my family in Tokyo this summer. I rarely have the opportunity to return home and visit my family due to the cost. I was able to reunite with my aunties and family who I have missed for 6 years!"
Tropical Pavilion / Pabellón tropical by Verónica Ramírez Martell (@embelekeo). "I am a tropical transplant. I carry with me all the colors and flowers and sounds of home. I nurture my warmth and sustain it with love, nature, and expression. Like this greenhouse, I am my own home and I am the keeper of my garden."
Mohawk by Lenira DosReis (@lenira1976). "In the background I’ve included hibiscus flower that I was printed on stamps I collected as a child. This portrait is still work in progress."
Lego me by Esther Neshama. "Legos and paperclip because I like to create art"
Ghost in the Shell by Gary Duehr. "This self portrait (reflected in a copper piece by Lucio Fontana) is from a series taken in museums and galleries. The cellphone represents the center of my artistic life, and my wedding ring the focus of my home life."
Self-portrait (Becky), 2023 by Michelle Schapiro (@michelleschapiro.jpg). "I made this self-portrait about my relationship with my wife, and the time we spend with her family each summer. The chairs spoke to me all week, with the play of the shadow leaves and the draped towels drying in the sun."
In the Studio Again by Alison Croney Moses (@alisoncroney). "This sculpture represents the exploration of the habits of making and inspired by my experiences of motherhood. I included it because this is what I am working on in the studio. It feels relevant and authentic to me in this particular moment."
Burn Camp by Angel Sierra (@Lsierra10). "This is a portrait I sketched of myself wearing t-shirt from The Arthur C Luf Children’s Burn Camp. I am a burn survivor and burn camp is one of my most favorite places on earth. It is my fun, my freedom, my safe haven."
Hold Me Tender by Bayda Asbridge (@baydasart). "I took a photo with my art, wire boats covered with vellum held gingerly on top of birch trees; addressing the Syrian migrant blight crossing the sea in hope of finding peace."
Listening by Lynn Simmons (@lynnsimmons.studio). "When I started making art three dimensionally, I immediately turned to wood as my source of inspiration, creation, and motivation. The piece of driftwood that I’m wearing in my image allowed me to feel truly myself, and to be at home."
Ethiopian Luv by Nahdra Ra Kiros (@thehouseofnahdra). "A Nutella which is the cloth we used to cover or lay over our hair and shoulders, worn by all ages. Also the Meskel Cross which is often an intricate sculpted cross."
Untitled by Fifile Nguyen (@fimonstre). "Spoon is a nod to my Vietnamese roots. Earrings from a teacher who shaped me & I revel in silliness. Cassette and mosaic remind me to create unabashedly. Leaves and postcard: we are of the earth and an expanding universe where anything is possible."
Untitled by Jen Turpin. "These objects bridge who my families are, how I was raised, who helped me grow, & who I am today. Music & art are lifelong passions that similar to culture have evolved over time. Other objects are stepping stones along the path to becoming who I am."
