“Shedding Velvet” is a self portrait in oil that I produced to capture the feelings of growth and honour transition. In this painting my hand is placed on my cheek, the idea behind this was to hint at the pain in the mouth as wisdom teeth grow through gums like how the buck also sheds the velvet from his antlers. This pain serves as a metaphor for the pain of the departure from childhood to adulthood. The painting takes place in a nondescript liminal natural space with blue hues to symbolise the growth that takes place in the spiritual realm as we experience rites of passage.
