Self-Portrait in Grey - print of ink study by Eva Drew

ARTIST STATEMENT: I struggle a lot with anxiety. Whether it's over small spaces, large crowds, or just what's going on within my relationships. I know it's all in my head but pulling myself out of that space sometimes feels impossible. I tend to think of it like I'm floating out in the ocean with nothing around me as if I'm not real. I have not a care in the world, but every so often a wave pushes me down under the surface of the water. That reminds me I can drown. I know everyone gets like this sometimes, but it always makes me feel alone and I end up pushing people away. Despite these feelings I am still trying, I am still here. For this project, I made a series of portraits informed by research into the work of Marlene Dumas and Rea Klein. The artist was aged 18 when this piece was created.