Michelle Ma ’23

“Scan It,” 2020.Digital Camera, Mixed media, 17 x 11 inches.

Artist Statement: Whether I was aware of it or not, my ideals of race and identity were shaped by and linked through social media contents. This image titled Scan it unravels my experience of being abused, marginalized, and dismantled on social media. I investigate the ways our identities have been connected to societal expectations by combining self-portraiture within QR codes. From scanning, connecting, and alternatively isolating, I regard this photo as a way to transform my struggles into an unsearchable experience, eventually finding my narratives of identity history.