Artist Statement: 

 

We are all born with natural rights. We are all born with life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Within the United States, we also have rights that we had to fight for, but have rightfully earned, like freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press.  In America, we are blessed with the right to be who we want to be, study what we want to study, and act how we want to act. However, there is one specific thing that everyone has that defines who they are as a person and that no one can take away; your name.

 

Your name is something that you are given to as a child, and something that most people keep consistent throughout their entire lives. It is the first thing given to you in your life that is unique to you and defines who you are, that is the name at which people classify you.  Your name is the first thing given to you that helps create a unique identity for yourself.  Your identity is something that you OWN and that no one can ever take away from you; almost like a natural born right.

 

In my photograph, the two girls have their names printed on their faces.  This helps visually portray their identity onto their faces.  The names are stuck on the girl's faces because they are not able to be taken away.  You have ownership of your own name, and no one will ever be able to take your name away from you, it defines who you are.