Artist Bio:
Maggie Biondi is a Visual Arts major with a double minor in Digital Media and Russian. She is a 21 year old, LGBTQ+ artist from Whitney Point, New York. Her style of art has been heavily influenced by her mental health journey and her passion for increasing awareness about issues that people face. Art has been a major piece in her personal journey in processing experiences and emotions. Maggie enjoys all mediums of art, from digital art, to printmaking, to ceramics. However, her favorite mediums include digital art, 3D art, and painting. Her thesis combines digital art, painting, and sculpture as a means to draw awareness to sexual assault.
Artist Statement:
It is my belief that everyone will experience something traumatic in their lifetime. Some may choose not to view the event as traumatic. They may feel that what happened was a normal thing and continue on with their lives without realizing how the event has changed them; Others may be entirely debilitated by the event and experience symptoms of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Additionally, I believe that the presence of mental illness in our lives–whether it is ours or a loved one’s, whether it is left untreated, treated improperly, or successfully treated–is important to highlight as well.
My main goal is to express the ways that people may cope and respond to trauma, as well as illustrate what PTSD may look or feel like, specifically in regards to sexual assault as it is something many of my peers have faced. I want to make people aware of the problems that others may be experiencing without showing it—the invisible ailments some face. This is a very important topic to me as I personally struggle with PTSD, severe Major Depressive Disorder, and Anxiety Disorder. I believe that it is important to recognize that people may be struggling with more than what they let us see.