Artist Statement

SMEGY

 The dichotomy of a girl from desert origins and her intense passion for the ocean, SMEGY pieces contrasting worlds together to prove beauty in the misunderstood.

Since 8 years old, Smegy had a deep love and appreciation for ocean life, which only grew more intense as time progressed. It quickly became an obsession and from there, a collection of interests accrued. Jellyfish, deep ocean life, ancient Egyptians, Islamic history, clowns, tribal masks from all sorts of ancient peoples; creating the middle ground between these starkly different worlds is where Smegy resides.

Being so far from any kind of oceanic life growing up in Phoenix Arizona, curiosity for the sea only grew as time passed, and that was very prevalent in Smegy’s art. Jellyfish were the main subject in these ocean pieces. Millions of undiscovered species range in many different shapes, sizes, and colors, and live all over the globe. Jellyfish became a symbol of opportunity because while unlikely to happen, the thought of designing a jellyfish that gets discovered in the deep ocean soon after was enough to keep inspiration alive. 

The jellyfish obsession became a deep ocean obsession. Thinking of other possible sea creatures that could be down there whether or not science backed it up led imaginations to run. Putting human faces on fish-like creatures led to studying facial anatomy. And oh, the Pandora box that opened.

The complexity of facial anatomy and the way we as humans can manipulate our faces is a severely underrated talent. Facial expressions transcend languages. You could not understand a single word a person is saying. Still, you could go far by studying what their face is saying, the curve of their mouth, the shape their eyes make, the eyebrow position, the way noses scrunch, and the countless combinations that are made with all of these features. 

Experimenting with expressions invokes feelings within the viewer. Some expressions are unsettling and some are welcoming, and most fill the space between. Clowns master the art of facial expressions, achieving the welcoming-to-unsettling spectrum. The extremes are what's fascinating, and the many punnet squares that blend the different kinds are the right push to constantly think outside of the box. What if there was a jellyfish punk? A Clown punk? A jellyfish clown punk? What if that had only one spike and lived in ancient Egypt? What if there was a clown jellyfish that found a masquerade mask? It is easy to lose yourself in the complexities of each idea, and each new hyperfixations only adds to the adventure.  Doing art this way will always provide a challenge that constantly stimulates the mind. Smegy’s unique background and upbringing constantly exposed her to different people and situations. This often made her feel like an outsider all through life, which made her take comfort in the unconventional. 

Smegy runs towards the unknown and takes direct inspiration from everything hard to understand. There is so much room for creativity to flourish in what is considered strange by society's standards. To be fulfilled, you must be open to understanding others, and Smegy aims to share her unconventional passions and history by doing just that.