ARTIST STATEMENT
My body of work combines sculpture and painting, delving into themes of mental health, compulsive attachment to sugary substances, and the concept of mortality. These concepts are psychologically interwoven into the texture of my work, excavating the human mind and its impact on behavior. To explore these themes, I use the motif of the “teddy bear” as a tantalizing representation of the looming embodiment of waste and decay burrowing into the psyche. Simultaneously, they serve as a commentary on society’s desensitization to violence and the effects of depression and anxiety. In particular, the artwork/s for this show use this symbolism to represent anguish, relinquishment, and a view into the decomposition within my mind. They represent physical and psychological changes I have experienced in battling my mental health over the years and how I can choose to give into the unraveling or overcome those obstacles.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
I am a painter and sculptor that resides in Crown Point, Indiana. I graduated from Indiana University Northwest with my BFA and found my passion for art growing stronger as I became a part of the art community at IUN. There, I found the desire to represent my personal experience with my mental health through using comforting imagery and dark, distorted themes. I have seen many artworks depicting experiences within the mental health psyche, but my goal has been to create works that express how well people can mask their depression just as the teddy bears I create hide something dark behind their cute exterior.
My biggest accomplishments to date are having an artwork published in Spirits Volume 37 at Indiana University Northwest, having my BFA Show painting “Lucid Reflection” purchased by Indiana University Northwest, having a solo show titled “Confectionery Infection” at Southshore Arts, and being a part of Indiana University Northwest’s Gary mural project.
© Summer Boezeman