"Fragments"

Author/Artist Name

Zachariah M. Alexander, Murray State CollegeFollow

Files

Academic Level at Time of Creation

Senior

Date of Creation

Fall 11-21-2025

Artist Statement

My work explores identity, memory, and womanhood through portrait photography that reflects personal experiences that shape emotional and psychological growth. With each photograph, I aim to convey a transition between innocence and maturity, dependence and independence, and fragility and strength. The series challenges notions of innocence and maturity, fragility and power. The process of creating the portraits is shaped by an admiration for moments of strength and struggle in the women I have grown up with those who are part of my family or closest friendships. There is beauty in those contrasts in that the reality is women are human yet often bound by unrealistic expectations formed by society and home, and internalized over time.

These narratives guide the use of lighting, environment, movement, and balanced compositions. The colors used in each photograph convey distinct emotions: red for passion and loss, green for growth and change, blue for isolation, and white the combination of all colors to represent a liminal state, a space of transition where someone is not quite one thing or another, but somewhere in between.

My current show explores this visual style, combining color, symbolism, and elements of nature and womanhood. Each photograph represents a different element found in nature: fire, water, air, and earth represented through the women who have shaped my life. By portraying these women, I explore the fluidity of feminine identity and the shared cycles of creation, destruction, and renewal that define womanhood.

Artistically, the work draws influence from David LaChapelle’s theatrical use of color and storytelling through tableau, Trish Morrissey’s focus on family and female gender roles, and Cindy Sherman’s ability to transform herself into different personas. Their practices demonstrate that photography can be more than a record; it can be a space to perform, question, and reinvent.

Ultimately, this practice remains deeply personal. My work uses photography as a means of reflection, locating beauty in the complexity of lived experience and exploring the strength that emerges through vulnerability.

Advisor/Mentor

Professor Mike Martin; Sarah Martin (Advisor); Cintia Segovia Figueroa (Mentor)

Description

This series of four 13 x 19 inkjet prints captures the essence of womanhood and its ever-changing nature. Each portrait pays tribute to the women in my life those I’ve watched weather difficult, challenging moments and still emerge with strength and clarity. Through color, symbolism, and natural elements, the images reflect cycles of growth, struggle, and renewal. Together, the prints honor both the resilience and vulnerability that define these women and the enduring impact they’ve had on my understanding of identity and transformation.

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

Recommended Citation

Alexander, Zachariah M., ""Fragments"" (2025). B.A./B.S. Practicum Group Exhibit (ART 499). 78.
https://digitalcommons.murraystate.edu/art499/78