“Trying On Old Cycles, (2025)” was selected by guest curator Kri Yamada for the March 2025 exhibit Second Skin at the Fishbowl gallery in Uptown. It was born from a moment of jealousy and betrayal I experienced. When hurting, I watched myself succumb to the pressure of the familiar and robotically acted out in ways I knew that I should have already overcome. Despite my growth, I wore a face of bitterness that failed to reflect the person I believe myself to be. I intentionally suffocated my spirit for the sake of revenge, which in the end, hurt me more than the object of my ire. Feeling compelled by the painstaking process of putting in contacts and droid cosplay, I chose colored lenses to represent the feeling of harming oneself for no other purpose than cosmetic, only to be unable to recognize the face in the mirror. “Trying on Old Cycles” speaks to the experience of confronting your own image and not liking what you see. It’s the misery of gender dysphoric formal wear, having to wear your clothes from high school when visiting home, and failing to choose the high road even when you know it’s the right thing to do.