Mikaela Darnell
Fractured Self-Image, Acrylic on Canvas
I grew up in a small town in Western North Carolina. My childhood was spent making art and exploring the natural wonder NC has to offer and in my adult life I have spent much of my time doing the same. I attended the University of North Carolina in Asheville where I graduated with a Bachelors of Fine Art in Painting and Sociology. Appropriately, my work has focused on themes of identity and exploration of the human experience. I continue to live and work in Asheville and have exhibited paintings in various shows across North Carolina.
My paintings explore concepts I grapple with every day—body image, self-esteem, and identity. Advertising, film, music, and social media perpetuate ideas about what is and is not valued, shaping how we see the world and ourselves within it. My work is an ongoing process of looking inward and examining how these cultural forces have influenced my own thinking.
I use original photography as well as physical and digital collage to create the surreal and subversive references for my work.
