Old Project Description
sem·blance (noun) – the outward appearance or apparent form of something, especially when the reality is different.
Semblance is about how someone’s or something's appearance may not reflect its true nature, and how different manifestation and perspectives can lead to vastly different judgments. What's hidden from view may be concealed for any number of reasons, but the impression we get is often inaccurate and lacking the full picture.
Drawing direct inspiration from my childhood as an Indian-American living in Atlanta, I often felt pressure to conform to my environment and the expectation of people around me. To avoid conflict and fit in, I presented what felt like a charade – a half-baked version of myself. This forced others to judge me for the imperfections of the limited semblance they had purview to, leaving them to never understand me as a whole. It left me with confusing feelings of just how much of myself I had to explain and reveal – never truly feeling like I belonged.
Through a loose interpretation of the weavings and textiles from my childhood home, Semblance aims to evoke contrasting emotions and depict this dilemma. Each Semblance chooses how much of their characteristics to reveal, presenting the viewer with a uniquely woven manifestation of suppression and liberation to judge. Unlike in real life, the viewer has the ability to toggle between the variations.
Will you judge the Semblance for what you see? Or will you take time to understand more?