Love Letter to my past
Love Letter to my past
Love Letter to myself
Documenting moments of sadness, doubt, frustration, hurt and pain, the trauma-ridden words on the pages of my most treasured journal are turned into a physical form as a blazer made out of paper mache.
Documenting moments of sadness, doubt, frustration, hurt and pain, the trauma-ridden words on the pages of my most treasured journal are turned into a physical form as a blazer made out of paper mache.
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March 2026
Love letter to my past, 2026 paper mache using ink on paper and polyvinvyl acetate glue Created as a love letter addressed to her past self, Annie assembled torn pieces of paper from her journal into a blazer sculpture. With each piece individually glued in place, it is as if the painful memories written on those pages become frozen in time. Several years after Annie's high school graduation, she no longer dons the blazer that was once a core part of her old identity.
Paper mache
March 2026
Paper mache
Love letter to my past, 2026 paper mache using ink on paper and polyvinvyl acetate glue Created as a love letter addressed to her past self, Annie assembled torn pieces of paper from her journal into a blazer sculpture. With each piece individually glued in place, it is as if the painful memories written on those pages become frozen in time. Several years after Annie's high school graduation, she no longer dons the blazer that was once a core part of her old identity.
Slow and steady wins the race...
I have never actually tried paper mache before making this artwork, so there was a bit of a learning curve from figuring out how to construct a base structure, to experimenting with different sizes of paper strips and working out how to make curved surfaces look smooth. One thing that I did not expect was the excessive amount of handwashing that I had to do to get rid of the glue from my hands. It was a very messy and very time-consuming process, with each layer taking 1-2 full days to completely dry and a total of 3 layers used to complete the blazer. Towards the end, I was struggling to find motivation to keep going because it felt like a never-ending cycle of gluing down pieces of paper, letting them dry and then back to gluing again. Considering how big the blazer was and how small the paper pieces that were the size of my palms were, it took forever to complete. There was one tiny little thought that kept me going through it all, a quiet voice in my head saying "you've got a powerful story to tell and nobody can do this except you". That was what helped me persevere through the pain of making this piece, as well as the pain that got me through those dark times documented in my writing.
Slow and steady wins the race...
I have never actually tried paper mache before making this artwork, so there was a bit of a learning curve from figuring out how to construct a base structure, to experimenting with different sizes of paper strips and working out how to make curved surfaces look smooth. One thing that I did not expect was the excessive amount of handwashing that I had to do to get rid of the glue from my hands. It was a very messy and very time-consuming process, with each layer taking 1-2 full days to completely dry and a total of 3 layers used to complete the blazer. Towards the end, I was struggling to find motivation to keep going because it felt like a never-ending cycle of gluing down pieces of paper, letting them dry and then back to gluing again. Considering how big the blazer was and how small the paper pieces that were the size of my palms were, it took forever to complete. There was one tiny little thought that kept me going through it all, a quiet voice in my head saying "you've got a powerful story to tell and nobody can do this except you". That was what helped me persevere through the pain of making this piece, as well as the pain that got me through those dark times documented in my writing.
Out of all the things that you could have made, why did you choose a blazer?
A huge part of my past identity was based on how I was perceived by those around me, because at the time I was still trying to figure out who I really am. Whenever I wore that school blazer, I felt like I was trapped behind a mask and people only knew about my insecure, socially-anxious, shy and often mute self. Perhaps it was after graduation where I no longer wear that blazer that things have started to change. Since then, I have grown out of that shell and am slowly but surely trying to speak out for myself.
Out of all the things that you could have made, why did you choose a blazer?
A huge part of my past identity was based on how I was perceived by those around me, because at the time I was still trying to figure out who I really am. Whenever I wore that school blazer, I felt like I was trapped behind a mask and people only knew about my insecure, socially-anxious, shy and often mute self. Perhaps it was after graduation where I no longer wear that blazer that things have started to change. Since then, I have grown out of that shell and am slowly but surely trying to speak out for myself.
Snippet of the love letter that I wrote to my past
"I want to take a moment to express my gratitude. I want to say thank you and I love you. Know that even if no one loves you, I will love you with my whole heart… Don't ever forget that you are your greatest treasure, so you should look after yourself more. Know that the future you will continue to embrace your traumas, your awkwardness and your imperfections… You're in a much better place now, so you can let go of your past regrets and past traumas. Try living in the present and see the world with an open mind and an open heart. Then you will realise that life is more beautiful than you think…"
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