The Earnest

Created as a self-portrait for the SD Art Prize, this mixed-media contemporary artwork combines oil painting with deliberately shattered mirrors to explore identity, perception, and the complexity of being human. Fragments of reflective glass are layered across the painted surface, allowing both the artwork and the viewer’s own reflection to shift and transform as they move around the piece.

From a distance, the surface appears luminous, polished, and almost pristine. As the viewer moves closer, however, the fractured mirrors reveal themselves, exposing layers of disruption and imperfection beneath the initial beauty. The changing reflections create an intimate relationship between the artwork and its audience, making the viewer an active part of the composition.

Through the combination of self-portraiture, oil painting, and shattered mirror, the work considers the contrast between perception and reality—the beauty we recognize from afar and the history, emotion, and imperfections that emerge through a closer examination.