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Artist Statement:
“I created “Umbilical” about my experience of leaving a codependent and unhealthy all-consuming friendship after 7+ years. Carrying a bunny stuffed animal, the figure represents a vulnerable, wounded version of myself that feels there is no other choice but to go on. The figure stands looking at something unknown to the viewer, fearfully. This painting serves as an exploration of my own grieving for a friendship that once meant everything to me, a person who at one point, I would’ve described as my safe place. For me, art often acts as a catharsis and some form of closure that exists beyond words. So, fittingly “Umbilical” is an acceptance I can stand on my own two feet, even if I’m absolutely terrified. The color palette purposefully recalls bruises and blood to symbolize the pain of loss and the slow violence of growing away from someone. In watching someone I loved transform into someone I didn’t want to know anymore, ultimately, there was no choice but to cut the cord.”
“I began making these small statues as a way to calm myself and fill my time when the pandemic started. For approximately the first month of New York being ‘on pause’, I was living alone, extremely unsure of when I’d be around anyone other than my immediate family. Making these sculptures and posing them around my room was and is a form of solace. I imagine them being a part of my world, as active participants who truly, lovingly, see me or any viewer who looks upon them. The gentle figures serve to ground the viewer and remind them of the impacts of a loving, kind gaze. They are happy to see you!”
BIo:
Sylvie Cohen (they/them) is an interdisciplinary artist whose work includes drawing, painting, sculpture, video, and collage. Born in 2001, Cohen’s work investigates issues of mental illness, gender violence, and traumatic coming-of-age experiences. Currently studying at the Gallatin School of Individualized Study, Sylvie Cohen is pursuing a B.A. focused on the art of trauma survivors. Cohen has completed their minor in Studio Art, in addition to the credits required for an Art History minor.
Drawing inspiration from ‘Ugly Dolls’, children’s books, and the writings of Hanya Yanagihara, Sylvia Plath, and bell hooks, Sylvie Cohen juxtaposes playful imagery and taboo subject material to open dialogue surrounding ‘coming of age’, and more broadly, what it means to occupy one’s own mind and body. Cohen lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.
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