Loreal Vos, Undine on My Mind, Drypoint, 21 x 14.8cm, Ed of 3, 2025, Framed
My work in this exhibition is a deeply personal exploration of my identity following a recent
diagnosis of autism. Over the past ten months, the processes of printmaking, from the precise
layers of reduction linocut to the textural depths of etching, dry point, and Tetra Pak intaglio,
have provided a meditative space to process this understanding of self.
This series features four prints where objects related to water (shells, coral, and a fountain)
function as masks. In three of the pieces, a female figure’s face is obscured by these elements,
while the fourth highlights a hand holding a pansy shell, which represents a mask itself.
The imagery draws inspiration from the natural world: just as sea creatures use shells and
coral reefs for camouflage and survival, these prints reflect the experience of masking one’s
true self to navigate the human world.
The fountain connects to the myth of Undine, a water spirit attempting to survive in the
human world, using the fountain as a conduit between her realm and ours. This also subtly
references Greek mythology and the divide between the divine and the mortal, a metaphor
for the struggle to bridge different worlds of experience. Collectively, these works document
a journey into visibility and self-acceptance, using the beautiful and protective surfaces of
the ocean as a lens for my own metamorphosis.