This quasi-self-portrait conveys the futility of materialism, perfectionism, and conformity in today’s society.

The people in the background are roughly rendered and with their backs turned – they are deliberately demarcated as non-subjects, thereby instilling in the portrait an air of self-centeredness and shallowness.

I think makeup stores are the ultimate intersection of materialism, consumerism, perfectionism, and self-absorption. Makeup, a tool for reinvention and concealing insecurity, is a perfect symbol of the increasingly commercialized nature of identity. The glistening, seemingly endless rows of makeup convey the culture of excess, and the oversaturation of magenta tones serves to amplify the aura of artificiality. Societal standards are idealistic and unattainable, yet we collectively continue to propagate them, trapping us in perpetual inadequacy and ceaseless striving. At the end of the day, someone turns a profit.