Stripped
- Acrylics over Cosclay Polymer Clay on Wooden Panel
- 8 x 8 x 2.5 in
- $2,750
- Erica Lynn Schmidt
This piece represents the struggle between the authentic self and the face we present to others. The treasures hiding within are born of our most intimate and vulnerable parts—the ones we keep protected at all costs. It takes deep inner strength, bravery and resolve to pry open this vault and reveal the very best of ourselves. Beneath the conditioning and layers of expectations, our vitality awaits. Living in a state of constant anxiety and hyper-vigilance led me to hide this authenticity, as it felt safer to tend to the needs and demands of those around me. I got lost in perceived expectations, keeping my own voice timid and quiet. Involuntary dissociation at perceived danger made freedom feel impossible at times, and it took dedicated inner work and nervous system regulation to begin the return to myself.The minimal black and white aesthetic was the literal stripping away of the colors and noise of everyone else, and the red of the octopus highlights inner strength.
- Collections: Fragility and Fortitude