Tools: Raspberry Pi 4, Arduino uno, servo motor, clay, flowers, pi camera, acrylic, ping pong

In response to our class prompt “two sides”, I created this piece discussing the multiple sides of the contemporary definition of beauty. Everyone has different sides of themselves, yet we often only witness the "prettier" aspects of others that conform to societal expectations. The oppressive mainstream culture's narrow definition of beauty has led to discrimination, and peer pressure has left countless individuals feeling inadequate and marginalized. We all have different sides and possess the potential to be beautiful. True beauty is not defined by societal norms but rather by each individual's unique traits and characteristics.

Inspired by this dilemma, I have created a mixed-media microelectronic installation that deconstructs facial features, rendering them as vessels holding all the broken fragments within. The eyes, which vary in appearance, shake and gaze outwards, while the bloodshot eye on top confronts the people walking by. The tracking eye symbolizes the pressure to conform to societal standards as it stares at others while hiding its "imperfect" and "messy" sides away. However, amidst all the brokenness, the flowers that emerge from the cracks add life to this fractured human, also signifying that beauty is evaluated based on the “inside” of a human, not the “outside”.