mixed media; 21.5″x29″

“This series looks at exterior and interior aspects of the human body: what is hidden, exposed, and assumed and how those entities change over time. The backgrounds are spray painted to create a rigid space in which the self will exist, yet the images break out of the boundaries to varying degrees. Acrylic paint and charcoal are applied with fingers as a further exploration of interior and exterior: “moving” the image from the mirror, to the eyes, brain, and back out through fingertips to the paper.”

ARTIST BIO: Jay DeFazio is an artist, educator, and author from Newport, Kentucky. His work includes: Inside Out– helping trans individuals create mixed media self portraits; LGBTQ+ curriculum writer and teacher for Inclusio Education Services; and Board Member for SOS ART. Jay’s first book will be released on May 30, 2022. My Own Worst Enemy, details his experience navigating gender identity and self-acceptance after existing in the world as a woman before transitioning at age 42.