Emotional Shadow

Emotional Shadow is a prototype costume for my art project called Costumotions, where I work with people using costume as a medium for emotional expression. The idea is to create visual forms for the emotional sensations we experience in our bodies, to help us undesrtand the depths and measures in which they roam inside of us. Emotional Shadow is an emotional landscape of a make believe character, who has committed a suicide because of all the emotional distress he hadn't dealt with. In this piece I added elements of general distress, such as the feelings of ones head exploding with steam pouring out (uncapability to handle stress), a pierced heart bursting out of the chest (being hurt) and loads of unidentified heavy particles just sitting on the shoulders and back (guilt, fear, anxiety) weighing him down. With this work I am hoping to create awareness of how important it is for us to pay attention to our emotions, learn about them and that way better take care of ourselves and others.

I have used mixed media in this soft sculpture, 90% using recycled materials, including fabric, plastic, leftover paint, paper, cotton wool and what's generally considered garbage.