Sione Tonga

Persona is “a kind of mask, designed on the one hand to make a definite impression upon, and on the other to conceal the true nature of the individual.” - Carl Jung

My project utilizes tarot reading to explore the performativity of persona by investigating the identities of my family and friends, leading to confession of queerness. Cautioning against my family's opposing moral attitudes, I suppress my queer identity behind a heterosexual mask that prevents intimate connection with them and distorts my perception of who they are. Conversely, my interactions with friends require less censorship, allowing my authentic self to exist. These create a duality in my self expression which I encapsulate in my plaster sculpture. Longing to express my true self within my family's perception, prompted the investigation into my loved ones’ personas, using oil and acrylic paint I search for agreeable signs through fluctuating identities.