Self Portrait at 24

'Self Portrait at 24' is an intensely personal record, but it is also an expression of the universal need feel seen and heard. For the artist, this dichotomy characterises self-portraiture as a genre and gives it timeless relevance. Honouring and listening to the individual story will always be beautiful. Inspired by Northern Renaissance drawings and portraiture, this drawing was made from direct observation using two mirrors. The focused self-scrutiny this method of working demanded was a gift in itself, fostering the clarity the artist needed to navigate a time of turbulence and change. 'Self Portrait at 24' records how the artist’s desire for control and self-determination coexisted with a need to dissolve, to hide from herself and others. It admits to both pride and shame, and to both fragility and strength. The drawing process – the synthetic phases where pencil marks were woven into form and subtle revisions were made, alternating with the destructive phases where hours of work were erased and begun again – encapsulates the alternating construction and destruction of the self in times of growth: a sinusoidal waveform dancing around an axis.