Curated by Sarah Oostendorp and Artfull, the exhibition held at the Shepperson Education Centre features paintings, sculpture and photography from emerging, mid-career and established artists. Each artwork is a self-portrait - but not as you'd imagine. Rather, the show is a call and response to the question 'who are you as an artist?' The works range from self-portraiture to pure abstraction, telling each artists unique story in their own distinct style.-Artfull

October 2022 - February 2023

The Artists

Rachel Hope Allan

Amanda Billing

Bonco

Paola King-Borrero

Oliver Cain

Yeonjae Choi

Elliot Collins

Paul Darragh

Chris Van Doren

Luise Fong

Logan Moffat

Sarah Oostendorp

Gerry Parke

Toby Raine

Karlin Morrison Raju

Giles Smith

Garth Steeper

Chloe June Summerhayes

Hugo van Dorsser

Sam Walker

Rachel Wegrzyn

Virginia Woods-Jack

-I have always been drawn to self-portraits, it allows the audience an insight into an artist's life, surroundings and state of mind. It is a very intimate expression of an artist. As seen throughout history, artists will often turn to the self-portrait at some point in their journey, including Frida Kahlo, Yayoi Kusama, Robin White, Tony Fomison, and many more. I was originally attracted to the Self-portrait through Frances Hodgkins and her take on the genre, she painted objects such as a scarf, heels, flowers, and lipstick, objects she felt resembled her more so than the face that masked her. When I first came across this painting I had been battling with the idea of creating my self-portrait, I found her take on this to be so refreshing, it made me question what remains when you peel back the outer shell, the face we choose to present the world. Can an unwavering sense of self be found if we delve beneath our fleeting moods, preoccupations and circumstances? Must a self-portrait always feature an artist’s face? How can the presence of the artist be conveyed in another way? It has taken me many years to get to this point of creating a self-portrait and understanding who I am, just enough to represent myself through my art. A self-portrait should not be restricted by the image of the artist and Dancing With Myself certainly allows the artist to express a true reflection of themself, their mind, surroundings and life. These works are personal reflections, an autobiography, each allowing you into their minds and what is most important to them. Artists are invested in representing the world, but I believe that it is also important for us to invest in representing ourselves, not only for personal reflection but also for the audience to understand the artist in a deeper sense. -Sarah Oostendorp