Local artist and UNM student Naomi Shersty seems to have found what most people only dream of - acceptance.
In her master's thesis exhibit, "what joy do i bring you?" Shersty explores the path that has brought her to her position as both an artist and an individual, and addresses the ways in which people within a society come to find a sense of identity.
"'What joy do i bring you?' examines the construction of identity and desire, particularly in relation to environmental, familial and sexual experience," according to a news release.
Shersty, who is a third-year graduate student in photography, said the title of the exhibit relates to a psychological term called mirroring.
"I was thinking about the idea of mirroring, which deals with self-psychology and the sense of self-esteem that is inherited from parents - kind of what makes a child see the joy they bring to their parents' lives," she said. "It's especially important during childhood and development because if you don't get it as a child, you look for it as you get older."
Shersty says her work manifests first from an autobiographical
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perspective, questioning, as she puts it, "why I am the way I am." Shersty said her works also deal with a lot of women's issues and address broader considerations on a societal level, like one's value of self.
Shersty's works, which come in an array of media ranging from photography to video to craftwork, are products of memories and states of being. According to Shersty, she enjoys working in different types of media and considers each an important aspect of this exhibit.
"I get something different from each media," Shersty said. "Photo has been the love of my life ever since I was younger, but I think there's a natural movement from still life to media that utilizes movement (like video), especially because I'm dealing with memory."
Shersty said her exhibit "is intended to facilitate dialogue surrounding the various power struggles found in intimate relationships as well as the roles that sex, family and place occupy within one's notion of self. The work likewise delves into the broader notion of what is desirable vs. what is accepted."
She also said that identity is not an isolated event and the psyche is not truly its own entity.
"One remembers the past and defines themselves according to the circumstances that they are currently surrounded by," she said. The exhibit, which is a compilation of complexities, is one of several that have put Shersty's works in the limelight. Aside from displays at local galleries Magn°fico and AC [2], Shersty's work has also been shown nationally.
If all goes according to plan, Shersty should be receiving her master's degree this semester. No doubt, it will do wonders for her identity.
What: "what joy do i bring you?"
When: Friday at 6:30 p.m., gallery hours Wednesday- Saturday 4-8 p.m.
Where: The Walls 510 Central Ave.
Price: Free
