Angel Ni

My series explores my recurrent cycles within friendships and relationships that cause me to lose and find who I am. I often have high expectations, but these connections don't align with what I hope will happen, causing a painful emotional burden and the need to rebuild myself again and again. What started out as a general question about my healing process turned into a deeper study of metanoia: which is the transformative change of heart and mind. I investigated how introspection and acceptance helped me regain my sense of self, particularly while immersed in a new setting: Taiwan.

My series developed with experimentation through symbolism. Taiwan was my main place of introspection. In False Hope, the overwhelming lantern light represents gaslighting myself believing that everything is okay. While in Gentle Hours,  traditional Taiwanese food symbolizes self-care and love. In my last two pieces, Final Glance symbolizes acceptance, while New represents a new start with a better version of myself through all my experiences. In order to properly convey my emotional journey of healing, I revised on a cooler color tone palette throughout my pieces to represent more melancholy.