It has become our natural instincts to communicate, to talk, and to express towards one another without realizing that these are stimuli that passively affect our character. With more social interaction, there is a greater understanding of our identity and where we stand in society. But as we mature, we become more complex beings and the line between expression and emotion – two significant factors that play in unity in understanding one another – thickens and consequently blurs the value of honesty within ourselves and to others. How we perceive others and how they perceive us correctly is a matter of understanding pass the surface of the false expression.

The subjects of the paintings represent the different identities humans display interchangeably in a social situation. More specifically, it is a shift between one’s true identity (emotion) and one’s public façade (expression). Such overlap is a matter of survival instinct for reasons such as to fit in society or to satisfy whoever is in control of who they are. When such shift is abused, however, the person may lose sense of who they truly are. This consequently strengthens the occurrence of a misunderstanding from others and from within.

*To see the painting animate from one layer to another, check it out at: https://www.behance.net/gallery/33253159/Featured-works-at-Mimesis-Art-Show

The monochromatic images are a result of looking through colored cellophane or any colored transparent film that cancel out certain colors to individually reveal the layers that make up the painting.