Jess Kelly Subtlety

I have chosen to do a self-portrait, depicting myself in subtle agony. It represents the way that people hide their fear and pain in everyday life, the way we say we are okay when we are aching inside. The smallest things can hint at pain – the falter of someone’s smile, the picking at nails, the tense body – but sometimes we can never tell, and we carry on masking ugly feelings. At first glance, this self-portrait may look neutral, calm. But as you look deeper, can you see anything else?