This work is inspired by the spirit of introspection - in a world in which consumerism is everything and outward expression attracts opportunity, there is an unspoken pressure for people to treat themselves as a product - to market, package, and sell themselves as something that others should want and need. Everything That Was Bottled Up was born from the convergence of these ideas and experiences. The series shows several bottles with labels designed to reflect pieces of the puzzle that makes up my life story, neatly packaged in an attempt at presenting the human experience as something to be consumed.
This project was an exercise that forced me to look back at the past 22 years and really think about the building blocks that came together to make me. The creative process was exciting at every step, starting with a list of concepts to pursue and a large folder of inspiration images, followed by analog sketching, which led to the use of Illustrator, Photoshop, and Procreate to put together digital labels and bottles. Every label has a unique aesthetic cohesive with its theme, which allowed me to push my creative boundaries and pursue styles that I normally shy away from. There are pieces of classical art, post-modern pastiche, and contemporary graphic design in the series, which also served as a great opportunity to dive into art history. My hope is that the audience can see the work and be inspired to take a deep dive into their own lives, thinking about the formative parts of themselves, the chapters in their stories.
