This print of a mixed-media self-portrait transforms reclaimed materials into a powerful reflection on identity, survival, and reclamation. The figure’s body is constructed entirely from torn pages of the artist’s old youth Bible—texts once used against him during conversion therapy, where scripture was twisted to convince him that something fundamental within him was wrong. Here, those same pages are reshaped into a new form, shifting their meaning from harm to healing.
Only the eyes remain visible, emerging through the collage with a quiet but unwavering presence. They become the portrait’s anchor—watchful, resilient, and determined to reclaim the narrative once imposed upon them.
Set against reclaimed plywood, the piece carries the marks and textures of its previous life, echoing themes of endurance and transformation. An outer red glow surrounds the figure, radiating like heat or an aura—suggesting both the emotional intensity of the past and the strength forged in its aftermath.
This work stands as an act of reclamation: faith reshaped, identity affirmed, and a body rebuilt from the very pages that once sought to confine it.
