State of Being is an exhibition featuring two 68 in x 96 in sheets, onto which my own body has been traced. Using my body as a canvas to map out anxiety, layers of thread and string of various colors are woven into the sheets. In an effort to explore anxiety as both a psychological and physical feeling, both maps Outer and Inner depict the simultaneous feeling of anxiety taking up space around and inside of me. The textile nature of the work speaks to how anxiety can become one with ourselves, that the anxiety no longer becomes just a feeling but a state of being; one that we can not always so easily shift out of. It begs the question, not only how does anxiety look, but how does it feel? My interest and pursuit of art therapy widely informs my practice, in which I often explore providing form to my emotions and experiences. Ultimately, this work hopes to validate my own hardships while simultaneously connecting with the public about a societal struggle. 

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The starting point of this exhibition rose out of a fascination with my “anxiety drawings”. Sketched during moments of stress, invasive unease and restlessness these drawings became a cathartic release for my emotions. Through simple line drawings, line became a way to find stability in the moments of chaos. I would draw until the feelings subsided, finding peace through repetition and steady movement. Thus, these sketches became clear portrayals of the feelings I was experiencing, but couldn’t otherwise express. By interpreting these drawings into woven textiles, the work manifested itself into what you look at today: State of Being.