18 x 24 in; Charcoal, Graphite, Blending Stick (as additional drawing tool)

Society often pressures individuals to achieve socially accepted goals despite the structural systems that disadvantage them to lack the means needed to achieve those goals. Alluding to this very real issue in all parts of our world, the strained look in the man’s eyes and his dark surroundings reflects the power of the environment. As a means to fulfill their self-worth that is tarnished by their situation, they begin to internalize and integrate deviance as a part of their identity. Stripped of an identity beyond their environment, the confidence to succeed in other ways often depletes. However, we are not the embodiment of our circumstances but players in a game starting out in different levels of difficulty.

*self-directed exploration