In a world where face-to-face interactions are no longer the norm, in what ways have you communicated with others? There have been abrupt changes in how we socialize due to COVID-19 — many prefer virtual meetings over conversations while having a cup of coffee. Virtual screens have replaced eye-to-eye contact; there is less intimacy between friends, families, and loved ones. Yet because most of our interactions have turned virtual, people are less aware of the physical distance that separates us. Whether we are half-way across the globe or in different states, when we are in our virtual call, we are in one place, discussing the same topic. In Your Words to Mine, I use four 24” × 36” canvases to paint four portraits of those that play significant roles in my life on campus. Each eight feet apart in the installation, the portraits are hung on the trees using a rope, forming a 9’ × 10’ square area. For the past few years, I’ve used oil paint to focus on portraiture and identity — I aim to capture the essence of each individual’s facial expressions, clothing, hair, and background, which significantly contributes to their image and identity. I depict the physical and psychological distance we are facing by hanging the portraits out in nature. What nature adds to this installation is perspective: rather than being distantly located in a confined location, nature allows the distance between people, or canvases, in this case, to be infinite. My self-portrait has her mouth open as if she’s talking — look around and we see one portrait listening with a big smile, another staring into an unknown object beyond our square with a slight grin, and the last portrait with a microphone in front of him gazing at the speaker. All four portraits represent how we look and behave like in a virtual call — they represent the lack of uniformity of our actions, an inevitable consequence of being virtual. Yet the deliberate arrangement of the canvases facing each other and being hung by the same rope shows the connection still present between individuals — although we may be apart by distance, we are still connected. In the past few months, we have learned to love, cry, and laugh with each other through our virtual world and adapt to our new environments. As you look through my installation, ask yourself: How strong is our power of language? How strongly can our emotions be conveyed, from your words to mine?

Danielle J. Sung

Your Words to Mine

Expanded Projects

Phillips Exeter Academy

Educator: Mary Nemeth

Grade: 11 Age: 16

Award: Gold Key,

American Visions Nominee