Date of Submission

Spring 2021

Academic Program

Studio Arts

Project Advisor 1

Laura Battle

Abstract/Artist's Statement

Senior Project submitted to The Division of Arts of Bard College.

The triquetra is a Celtic knot closely related to other symbols representative of the power of ‘three’, e.g., the trefoil, the triskelion, and the valknut, all of which have often been used to represent various Neopagan triplicities (such as the Maiden, Mother, and Crone). However like the trefoil, the triquetra has also been used as a Celtic representation of the Christian trinity: the Son, Father, and Holy Spirit. This conflation between these two religions which have heavily influenced my life is something I wanted to explore in this piece. The gothic arched wooden triptych borrows from centuries of Christian tradition, both in material and form, while the majority of the figures and stories it depicts are pagan in origin.

Key to accepting my own ‘femaleness’ was learning the powerful esoteric and mythological significance related to womanhood. My own body and social role had to be translated into something alchemical before I could finally overcome the internalized misogyny and gender dysphoria I had carried within me all my life. This painting is in part a tribute to these spiritual figures who have helped me to transmute my feelings about my own womanhood from discomfort to celebration. It is only after this radical acceptance through spirituality that I can embrace both my womanhood and my gender queerness as genuine expressions of myself.

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