about this piece
We live in an age of constant stimulation, where endless notifications, algorithmic feeds, and instant gratification compete for our attention. While technology has transformed the way we communicate and connect, it has also become a powerful form of escapism. My work examines the threshold where distraction becomes detachment, asking: at what point does escaping reality prevent us from fully experiencing it?
This body of work was inspired by the lyric, "My face was grey but you wouldn't admit that we were sick," from Taylor Swift's You're Losing Me. Recontextualized through the lens of social media and smartphone dependency, the lyric became a metaphor for a cultural condition. The gradual desaturation of my subjects reflects the invisible effects of digital overconsumption, suggesting a slow erosion of presence, vitality, and human connection. The greyer the body becomes, the further the subject has drifted from the physical world and into a virtual one.
Hand stitching serves as both a physical and symbolic gesture throughout the work. The thread acknowledges that our bodies remain rooted in the spaces we occupy, even as our attention exists elsewhere. It traces the invisible tension between physical presence and mental absence, emphasizing the disconnect between where we are and where our minds have wandered.
Rather than condemning technology, these images invite reflection on our relationship with it. They ask viewers to consider how often we mistake digital engagement for genuine presence, and what is lost when our attention becomes our most valuable commodity. In making this invisible condition visible, the work encourages a renewed awareness of the world that continues to exist beyond the screen.