Maddy Connolly

Purgatorium, 2024

Loneliness, the daunting feeling of being isolated or estranged from those around you is a universal and complex emotion. Indisputably, a gruesome and despicable feeling that can consume an individual. You feel invisible, as if you are a ghost destined to roam purgatory for eternity. This is the emotion I wanted to convey in my artwork. Utilizing clay, wood, carstock, and other mediums, a kind of nicho box is established to encapsulate the feeling of loneliness.

The ghost is in place of an individual who gives a piece of themself in an attempt to create new relationships. The paper cuts are symbols of the feeling of never being physically alone yet an immense sense of feeling isolated is still present.

About the Artist

I am a digital artist based in Southern California.

My work is profoundly influenced by my strict religious upbringing and the complexities of the human experience. Through my main medium of digital art, I undertake the task of depicting the theme of the never-ending peculiarities of human emotion.

I am inspired by artists of the Renaissance and Baroque periods who composed with intense realism and a strong use of shadow and light. Drawing from such sources, I utilize a black-and-white palette to convey raw emotions. Shadows and texture become a foundational element in my work, contributing to its overall aura.

My work is a deep dive into my psyche, an introspective look the viewer can contemplate, a vehicle in which I can express my otherwise suppressed emotions, thoughts,
and feelings. I believe sharing my work can contribute to building a sense of community and can function as a learning opportunity, not only artistically but also internally.

Making art has helped me discover who I am as an individual, and I hope those who view my work can identify and connect with my rendering of the human experience.