Self Portrait in Clay

Bust Concept

            I was first inspired by the Bust of Nefertiti, made by the artist Thutmose, and is argued to be one of the most prized artifacts of ancient Egypt. She has always reminded me of my mother who happens to be the strongest and most intelligent woman I know and love. What I like most about the bust is its ambiguous expression, which captures the admirer and leads them to wonder how she feels. It resembles timelessness, elegance, and a dash of mystery — attributes I especially wanted to portray in this project.

Stoicism is an ancient school of philosophy based on four cardinal virtues: wisdom, temperance, justice, and courage. These virtues have to do with the self and an acceptance that although we cannot control events that occur around us, we can control ourselves. Zeno of Cition (modern day Cyprus) is known as the founder of stoicism and has demonstrated its values through “acceptance and self-mastery,” the ultimate Stoic. Marcus Aurelius, another well-known Stoic wrote a series of personal writings entitled Meditations, about stoicism and the way of life via inner peace. A fun fact, Nelson Mandela read Aurelius’ work while imprisoned.

As an introverted and pensive individual, I wanted my bust to portray the elegance and timelessness of the Bust of Nefertiti with the essence of stoicism as those elements are capable of representing me without revealing me.

In having my inspiration for my bust, I decided to cover her in patina to give her an aged look and to leave out her pupils to capture a timelessness and mysteriousness to her expression. Leaving out her pupils gives the appearance of eye contact, as though she is looking through you, or as if deep in thought. This adds to the stoicism of her and captures me well as I like to think about the world and our place within it, finding myself constantly searching for what is real and genuine. Additionally, I did not add full shoulders so that the focus is more on the neck, similar to the Bust of Nefertiti.

In addition to bone structure and anatomy, the journey to completing this self portrait has given me quite a bit of insight about myself. I am, thankfully, very human. Thus with the many variations of love in this world, draw many complementing forms of heartbreak to endure and grow from. We are a collection of stories defined by our experiences, reflections, and emotions, and I wanted to express this disposition through the imperfect patina and mysterious expression. I am resilient and I am strong. With the length and uprightness of her neck, she is given a courageous and powerful air, implying that it takes courage and immense self-respect to forgive and to continue a life with harmony.