This project explores memory through objects and artifacts, specifically clothing. I became interested in how time can be represented through phases of adornment, and how certain garments come to define distinct periods of life. For me, those phases are often tied to shoes. I can vividly recall entire stretches of time through the shoes I wore, making footwear a natural entry point into thinking about memory and identity.

This painting began with a childhood moment drawn from an old photograph of me holding up my pants to show off my boots. When I asked my mom to send me some childhood photos for reference, the same boots appeared again and again. Seeing an object I remembered as so significant consistently reflected back as exactly that was both strange and affirming. The photos reminded me not only of how much I loved those boots, but of how early my attachment to clothing began. Dressing myself mattered deeply to me from a young age, and I developed a distinct approach to style. It was all about mixing patterns and it was, let me tell you, very intentional. 

In the composition, the figure is cropped to center the clothing and boots, shifting attention away from identity and toward adornment itself. The specificity of the outfit becomes the subject. A dark gray background removes contextual detail, isolating the figure and emphasizing the relationship between the body and what it wears. Spatial information is intentionally minimal, allowing the clothes to exist almost outside of time.

This lack of spatial orientation mirrors the way memory functions. Memories are often fragmented and disorienting, shaped by what stands out most vividly. For me, those details are frequently tied to what I was wearing. The contrast between the dark background and the vibrancy of the clothing elevates the garments, granting them a sense of importance that reflects their role in my recollection. By stripping away excess context, the painting foregrounds adornment as a carrier of memory, an object through which the past remains present.