Sierra Hutchinson

Curatorial Rationale

I've used my art to express coping with mental health issues and raise awareness to those who struggle with it. My father died when I was eight years old, and it felt like my whole world crumbled after that heavy event. I did not know how to cope with witnessing my mom's drug addiction, being taken advantage of, and being mentally abused through the other eight years that all occurred in a household setting. When the pandemic hit, it also dropped my mental health to the lowest it has ever been as it was time for me to face the created wounds. But it also allowed me to heal through them by creating art pieces and sharing them with others who felt the same pain.

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The first series is "Mentality." The five pieces set up a timeline: experience of trauma, how it affected my mental health and stability, my way of coping with it, and the final representing my freedom. All of the works are done traditionally, except for one, as I am beginning to experiment with digital painting. The pieces start with dull or dark colors but slowly progress to more vibrant and saturated colors, as this represents my view on the world shifting to a more positive aspect. This series intends to show sympathy for others who also struggle with mental health or trauma and let them know that they are not alone and can overcome this battle.

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The second series, with only three pieces, in my exhibit is "Cabin Fever." COVID-19, since March of 2020, affected many, if not all, people. I am focusing on the lockdown and part of my experience with it that most people experienced, too. Cabin Fever describes psychological symptoms a person may experience when confined to a home for extended periods. I discuss three symptoms in my pieces: procrastination, isolation, and overconsumption. My medium for this series was photography because I think it had a more significant impact as it captures the reality that all of us live in. 

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"Mentality" hangs on the main wall in front of the couch, with "Cabin Fever" to the right of it. I did this because the main wall shows the beginning events and flows to the final events or pieces’ right. As you sit down on the sofa, you become part of the works as all of them stem from my home and connect with the artworks better.