Part Self
2025.
Acrylic on canvas
Dimensions W15cm x L20cm
Part Self explores the subtle masks I adorn each day to step into the world as Esther. It is the version of me that leaves the bedroom and enters shared space carrying a cheerful smile, a confident demeanour and a carefully curated self.
Expressive brushstrokes and subtle adornments suggest the daily performance of identity. This piece explores emotional and spiritual unmasking through layered symbolism and texture.
These adornments are not superficial. They are armour, ritual and performance. They are the mask of selfhood I have learned to wear. Yet beneath them lies the question. What happens when the mask slips. When the adornments are stripped away.
Part Self is my attempt to hold that tension. To honour both the mask and the unmasking. To acknowledge the daily performance and the deeper truth.
Esther Akello 