Torment of a Saint
June 2018
My work is a reflection of myself; physically and mentally it depicts who I am as an individual. In this series, Torment of a Saint, I use myself as the subject so that I can relate my pain and struggles with something more holy than me, a Saint. Martyr Saints are typically seen in religious art with beautifully embellished clothing and in perfect condition, generally lacking the gruesome wounds they had endured. The Saints in my pictures contain the blood and torture that they encountered from individuals who were opposed to their faith. I show these Saints pitched against a dark black background which helps give off a sense of aloneness, and makes them seem more vulnerable, less godly, and more like me. The contrast I use in my photographs is inspired by painter Caravaggio and his concept called chiaroscuro, where light battles shadow. My images unveil the idea of these pure, impeccable beings, and shows Saints in a more realistically flawed, humanistic form. These holy individuals suffered through horrible tribulations but stood by their beliefs till the very end. By becoming these Saints, it helped me connect their pain to mine. Pain is something we can all understand and I believe it is something beautiful that makes us intrinsically human.
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- Saint Agatha (digital photography print, 30×40 in., 2018), Martyr Saint who gave herself to God and got her breasts torn off by her betrothed who was against her faith.
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- Saint Apollonia (digital photography print, 30×40 in., 2018), Martyr Saint who gave herself to God and got her teeth pulled out by individuals against her faith.
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- Saint Lucy (digital photography print, 30×40 in., 2018), Martyr Saint who gave herself to God and got her eyes plucked out by individuals against her faith.
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- Saint Sebastian (digital photography print, 30×40 in., 2018), Martyr Saint who was a commander in the Roman army that was shot by arrows because of his faith. He survives and goes back to the emperor who persecuted him to tell him to atone for his sins. There he gets executed by being clubbed to death.
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- Saint Denis (digital photography print, 30×40 in., 2018), Martyr Saint who was a bishop of the church that was persecuted and beheaded. He allegedly picked up his head, walked a few miles, and chanted a sermon before he died.
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- Saint Lawrence (digital photography print, 30×40 in., 2018), Martyr Saint who is burned on a gridiron after being persecuted for his faith. He gave all church riches to the poor instead of to the emperor.
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- Saint Michael (digital photography print, 30×40 in., 2018), Archangel of God who defeats Satan by sword. Healer and protector of soldiers and officers.
