APRIL BERMUDEZ
Self Portraits
Double Vision Nobility
Double Vision Nobility
digital photograph
When I was 23, I was physically assaulted by a man who wanted to be my boyfriend. He didn’t take rejection well. One of the resulting disabilities from the physical assault and traumatic brain injury is double vision.
It has at moments been painfully lonely and isolating and even dangerous. But if anything it has increased my ability to compensate and adapt in unquantifiable ways. My disability has changed my perception. It has made it so that I can see in a multitude of ways. It has become a something that I recognize as a superpower. I have been anointed. I have been crowned.
Kintsugi
Kintsugi
digital photograph
This self portrait is titled Kintsugi. Although it’s a new artwork, it’s a portrait utilizing a technique that can be traced back to the 15th century. The Japanese art of repairing broken pottery by mending the broken pieces with gold or silver lacquer and understanding that the piece is more beautiful for having been broken. Resilience is not merely about bouncing back from adversity but also about embracing the process of repair and renewal.
In using the philosophy of Kintsugi, individuals can find strength, self-acceptance, and growth in the face of adversity, emerging as resilient beings and embracing flaws and imperfections. We can create an even stronger, more beautiful piece of art.
Will This Keep Me Safe
Will This Keep Me Safe
digital photograph
Being somewhat of a klutz, and now having disabilities with balance, I've been told that it might be safer for me to be covered in bubble wrap. That has always been a comical thought until I was actually wrapped and started to sweat and found it hard to breathe.
Sometimes the safety you seek can be suffocating.