Investigating a Source of Comfort: Take a Seat

The artworks in this exhibition aimed to demonstrate the association between a sentiment of comfort to a tangible and familiar item, and to explore the significance of this idea by looking at its impact in a way personal to me. Through the use of charcoal, drawing, digital editing, printmaking on found materials, and painting mediums, I attempted to display the emotional weight and presence an object can carry. Comfort manifests itself in many ways, one of the strongest being home--or more specifically, items in the home that hold sentimental value. I chose to focus on a set of chairs in my apartment as the subject matter of these works in order to explore the concept of creating a sense of stability that is personal, as opposed to a general or impersonal perception of the emotion.

The first of the pieces sets the scene for the exhibition by providing a backdrop for the chairs, and allowing the viewer to observe them alongside other things that piece together my home. It notes the placement and composition of items as crucial to establishing a warm environment. Following the display of this environment is the portrayal of its impact: how an object can be consuming and supporting, both physically and emotionally. The exploration of the individuality present in the feeling of comfort continues into the third piece, which examines how detail can be imperative to a sense of belonging.

The exhibition ends with a piece that looks at what this sentiment, constructed through a tangible item, does for us in the real world. I intended to juxtapose elements of comfort with elements of stress, in order to highlight the urgency for the discussion and normalization of controversial ideas plaguing our society. This feeling that is associated with a familiar object acts as a human shield; a barrier against confrontation and problems. Hence, the work poses a question; does reliance on the object for the sense of safety constrain confidence in other environments?

Through my pieces, I hoped to study the origin of this feeling, as well as what characterizes it--and most importantly, whether it can equally materialize intangibly. This last point is important because it calls into question the significance of the objects that make us feel calm; examining how much of the invaluable emotion is caused by external ideas, and how much of it is internal.