• What you want to explore?
• Why it matters to you?
• How you wish to develop your project?
• When and where you intend to begin your study?
• Which form you wish to present your study (photobook, film, prints etc)

In my photography project, I am going to delve into the complex and painful relationship people have with their identity, particularly the pressures that lead individuals to hide their true selves. I’ve decided to focus my project on young person as I’ve observed first hand how my peers often feel compelled to mask their identities in order to fit in with societal expectations/ friend groups, for example: adjusting behaviour, altering appearances (by using makeup etc), or hiding emotions. I feel like people fear of being judged, ridiculed, or rejected if their true self is revealed. This sense of concealment and the desire to conform is something that I want to explore in my project. In this project, I’m going to start by photographing the idea of disguise in identity. I will do this by taking photographs of different peers in the studio and then using the work of different artists to emphasise the idea of a fragmented identity. For example, I will be looking at the artists: Aneta Ivanova, Manny Robertson and Brno Del Zou/ David Hockney. Aneta Ivanova’s work links to the theme of disguise in identity as she often uses complex visual compositions and costumes to blur the line between reality and fantasy, creating characters that reflect the performative aspects of identity. Her use of masks highlights how identity can be distorted, challenging the viewer to question what is hidden beneath the surface. Additionally, Manny Robertson’s work also fits the theme as his portraits capture the tension between the external façade and the internal self. His work reflects the emotional and psychological layers of disguise and how individuals navigate the multiple versions of themselves that exist. Finally, Brno Del Zou uses digital manipulation to reconstruct facial features. This reflects the concept of identity as its constantly shifting and sometimes fragmented, representing people not being whole as they often hide their true selves.

As my project develops, I want to shift the focus towards exploring the beauty and strength in embracing one’s true identity, despite the risks of vulnerability or rejection. By the end of the project, I hope to portray a journey of self-acceptance, showing how people can learn to take off their masks and be unapologetically themselves. Through this progression, I aim to demonstrate that the courage to embrace one’s true self is both empowering and liberating, and ultimately leads to a deeper sense of fulfilment and connection with others. To depict this, I will be taking inspiration from Marcelo Monreal. I feel his work covers the theme of embracing identity as he incorporates flowers and natural elements which evokes the idea that identity is a process of continuous growth and transformation. Flowers, which bloom, wither, and regenerate, mirror the way human identity can change over time, influenced by experiences, emotions, and external factors.

I am planning to present my project in a photobook format followed by a series of prints. I am going to use Photoshop to create photomontages and use AI technology to show how easy it is for people hide who they truly are online now days due to the easy access people have to these tools which are able to blur the lines between reality and imagination. I hope my images will be able to represent the internal struggles people face when embracing who they really are and to encourage them to not hide their true selves just to fit into society and individuality is what makes everyone unique and special.

I am going to be taking mainly tableaux images as I will carefully construct pieces that are able to tell a story of the journey of identity. I want to reassure the people who look at my work that discovering who you are isn’t necessarily a straight path and that its okay to want to hide sometimes but ultimately, I hope my project will inspire people to embrace themselves for who they are and to be unapologetically themselves.