Refractions of self is a conceptual photography series exploring identity, illusion, and the distortion of perception through reflective surfaces. Created for a photography class project titled Mirrors, the series reimagines the prompt with a fashion-forward, avant-garde perspective. The images use mirrors as not mere reflectors, but as fragmented thresholds, transforming the figure into something both familiar and alien. Shrouded in enigmatic attire—including a dress passed down from my mother—the veiled subject appears suspended between presence and absence, part apparition, part effigy.
Beyond fulfilling a class assignment, this series is a deeply personal exploration of queer identity and expression. With my mother as the photographer, the process became an intimate collaboration. I set the camera, explained shutter speed, light aperture, and settings, then told her to capture moments she felt were right. As I moved through various poses, offering occasional direction, she documented my most honest self—fluid, vulnerable, and unbound. The result is more than a visual study of reflection; it is a profound record of authenticity, capturing the rare beauty of expressing queerness through my mother’s eyes.
