Julia Howe, Through the fold (ART 2026)

We all wear masks day to day, blocking out our feelings and experiences for the sake of getting through the day, to survive and to protect others. Here I bring visual replications of these masks for all to see. ‘Through the fold’ forms an exploration into the human experience from a personal perspective. Through this project I allow audiences in, using objects as symbols of memories, feelings and suspensory experiences. This work also forms an exploration into the human form becoming a vehicle for expression, the subject herself becoming a prop or pedestal for the collected and made assemblages and costuming adorning her. Here the body is not separate from the materials, but in dialogue with them. Through the purposeful retaining of the subject’s anonymity the images form a negotiation between visibility and invisibility. Props become a shield protecting the subject from the world around her. These pieces are placed on a stage of sorts, metaphorically and literally exposed to viewers in a flow of fabric that dances around each prop. A flow and form that brings themes of fluctuation.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.