Ava Bernstein

Artist Statement:

My sustained investigation focuses on the people I love. The question that guided me through my investigation was, “Who were the people that had stood by me and love me.”

I chose to paint the people I love because in the past, I have felt alone and struggled with feeling loved and supported. I originally wanted to portray the process of my emotions throughout the years but after my first piece I felt sad and no longer wanted to focus on the past as I had always done. Instead, I wanted to focus on those people I had with me or gained throughout the years. Something I learned over the summer was that you cannot love other people if you do not love yourself. With this I focused on myself this summer and how I could love myself more. As a tribute to myself, I also incorporated many pictures of me along with friends and family. With this new found happiness and appreciation, I wanted to paint in bright colors. Painting the people I love in bright colors has made me feel more gratitude towards my life. It is extremely important to have people around you that help you grow, learn and thrive.