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Self-Portraits II series (2003)

In the Self-Portraits II, Yousefian continues to explore identity as her subject matter through the medium of photography. However, in this series she combined her photographic prints with wood to create larger, sculptural pieces. This series consists of three large self-portraits, The Talking Eye (2003), Duality
(2003), and Social Identity triptych (2003).

For the piece, The Talking Eye, Yousefian constructed a large-scale self-portrait using hand printed photographs mounted on wood panels. By swapping the placement of her eyes and mouth she conveys the idea that she is talking through her eyes.

In the piece Duality, as in her Self-Portraits I series, Yousefian once again focuses on the issue of double identity. In this work she showcases herself sitting in a cross-legged meditative pose while holding her own head, a metaphor for identity, in each hand. The symmetrical composition of this self-portrait conveys the duality of identity that she experiences.

Constructed from wood panels and photographic prints, Social Identity triptych showcases three life-sized self-portraits centering around the issue of identity and self- image as they are affected by the societal norms and expectations that one belongs to. In this tryptic, each of the three self-portraits represents a different aspect of identity as influenced and shaped by the cultural expectations prevalent in different societies. The third self-portrait in this triptych portrays the artist in the covered Islamic dress code imposed by conservative and religious societies. In the second self-portrait, the artist is transformed to the “perfect” Barbie image idolized by more modern and secular societies. In the third self-portrait, Yousefian is wearing a casual tank top, skirt and flower hair clip, seemingly a “normal” outfit for a modern woman living in a western society, yet another dress code dictated by the mainstream standards in a particular society.

© 2023 by Shadi Yousefian New. All rights reserved.

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