This series began as a way to express feelings about the acculturation process that occurs while immersed in a foreign land. A sense of overwhelming isolation as one struggles to learn a different language is often compounded by frustration and exasperation when attempting even the most straightforward task. But as time progresses, a sense of calm and tranquility takes over as one adapts to each new situation; a daunting task becomes an effortless act, a stranger becomes a companion, and an unfamiliar place feels like home. This results in a culmination of many intricate pieces taken from one's place of origin combined with their new surroundings.
Each portrait is built from individual inkjet prints on recycled book pages, meticulously grided together to form the final piece. The pages chosen for this project are from different texts written in Italian or about Italian culture.
