The Constructed Self

  • Dates
    2019 - 2021
  • Author
  • Topics Portrait, Contemporary Issues, Fine Art

In the Constructed Self, I use photography as the basis for the three-dimensional objects combined with wood, paint, and resin as a means to challenge our visual perception and the concept of identy

The Constructed Self (2019-2021) explores themes of identity and self-representation through the use of text and unconventional portraiture. Using digital photography as a foundation, I transform traditional prints into three-dimensional objects by cutting and incorporating tactile elements such as wood, paint, and resin. The labor-in-tensive techniques I apply to create these sculptural objects not only allow for a physical deconstruction of my images but also become a form of meditation that reflects my efforts in trying to reconstruct and make sense of my own identity.

Like a puzzle, my identities intersect coming together to construct my multiple sense of Self. Although I do not appear in the pictures I see the works as self-reflective and it's very important for me to show the diversity within my models. As an immigrant from Latin America and a descendant of Indigenous Peoples from the South, I feel the need to celebrate diversity to reframe the representation of historically marginalized identities.

Some of the pieces that make up these dimensional portraits can be rearranged and displayed in various ways to express the notion that identity is a social construct. At once colorful, surreal, and minimal, my constructed portraits invite the viewer to challenge their own perceptions and biases, by highlighting the complexities that make up who we are.

© Karen Navarro - Fragment, 2019 Archival inkjet print, wood panel, acrylic paint, Epoxy 48 x 56 in
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Fragment, 2019 Archival inkjet print, wood panel, acrylic paint, Epoxy 48 x 56 in

© Karen Navarro - Twisted variation, 2021 Archival inkjet print, wood, gesso, metal, acrylic paint, Epoxy 24 × 24 × 15 in
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Twisted variation, 2021 Archival inkjet print, wood, gesso, metal, acrylic paint, Epoxy 24 × 24 × 15 in

© Karen Navarro - Fractured, 2021 Archival inkjet print, wood, acrylic paint, Epoxy, vinyl 50 × 40 in
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Fractured, 2021 Archival inkjet print, wood, acrylic paint, Epoxy, vinyl 50 × 40 in

© Karen Navarro - Twisted, 2020 Archival inkjet print, wood, acrylic paint, epoxy, metal rope 18 x 52.5 x 18 in
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Twisted, 2020 Archival inkjet print, wood, acrylic paint, epoxy, metal rope 18 x 52.5 x 18 in

© Karen Navarro - Untitled (rearranged), 2021 Archival inkjet print, wood, acrylic paint, Epoxy 31 1/2 × 25 1/4 in
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Untitled (rearranged), 2021 Archival inkjet print, wood, acrylic paint, Epoxy 31 1/2 × 25 1/4 in

© Karen Navarro - Untitled (perspective), 2021 Archival inkjet print, wood, acrylic paint, Epoxy 35 × 28 in
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Untitled (perspective), 2021 Archival inkjet print, wood, acrylic paint, Epoxy 35 × 28 in

© Karen Navarro - Puzzled, 2020 Archival inkjet print, wood panel, acrylic paint, Epoxy 53 x 38 in
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Puzzled, 2020 Archival inkjet print, wood panel, acrylic paint, Epoxy 53 x 38 in

© Karen Navarro - Pieces, 2021 Archival inkjet print, wood, acrylic paint, Epoxy 20 in x 20 in
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Pieces, 2021 Archival inkjet print, wood, acrylic paint, Epoxy 20 in x 20 in

© Karen Navarro - Rearranged ll, 2021 Inkjet print, wood, acrylic paint, Epoxy 32 x 30.5 in
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Rearranged ll, 2021 Inkjet print, wood, acrylic paint, Epoxy 32 x 30.5 in

© Karen Navarro - Untitled (perspective ll), 2021 Archival inkjet print, wood, acrylic paint, Epoxy 30 × 24 in
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Untitled (perspective ll), 2021 Archival inkjet print, wood, acrylic paint, Epoxy 30 × 24 in

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