Beth Pass
She/Her
Through physical layering and drawing, I create ambiguous self-portraits, focusing on the shadows and highlights of my face. My practice interrogates a fragile and fluctuating sense of self.
She/Her
Receiving an ADHD diagnosis at the age of 21 caused a shift in self-perception; my symptoms contradict the stereotype, fracturing my relationship with my diagnosis. The ADHD stereotype is formed from research on young boys who externalise hyperactive symptoms; however, ADHD presents differently across genders. Women are more likely to internally manifest restlessness and are frequently overlooked or misdiagnosed with mood disorders.
Created with charcoal and PanPastels, my self-portraits are drawn on transparent, stained tracing papers. I capture the essence of a portrait by separating and drawing the face’s highlights and shadows. Dividing the faces’ tonal variations creates different fragmented versions of a single portrait, where the drawings can be recognised as faces but cannot be identified.
