Eden Rafuse

Abscission: Sweet Little Lies

Oil Paint, on semi exposed wooden board. with A therapeutic meditative painting, processing a mixture of gas-lighting inflicted by both others and myself. A reflection on having to come to terms with my own gender and sexuality.

“This oil painting is a manifestation Rafuse puts out for the purpose of self understanding and acceptance.The still life painting is painted overtop masked lettering. The letters are a note written to Rafuse at a young age. The letter is in regards to Rafuse's expressed concerns of gender dysphoria before they had the language to express it. The green journal beneath the crystals features a majority of Rafuse's questioning and confusion of gender and sexuality as well as navigating emotionally abusive relationships. Each of the crystals have significant meaning: amethyst, smokey quartz and rose quartz. The dried and dyed rose with removed thorns representing a past attempt to alter themselves for the sake of someone else.”