Nizlyn

Our skin is a thin but formidable barrier.  Wrappings of flesh serve as the containment of the Ego and protect the inner Self from external forces.  When the outside world acts upon the flesh, it can leave somatic inscriptions - both physically and emotionally. This transcribed record, for the purposes of bodily mark-making, represents seen and unseen abrasions on the flesh.  BDSM and kink can help with the procurement of inscriptions on the skin.  The action of consensual bodily mark-making is decisive, yet the way marks gradually form and fade is a gradual process that takes on a life of its own.  The experiences bring with them a sense of power, trust, and intimacy.  

While sexual masochism may be a consistent theme in the work, masochism is also prevalent in the artistic process.  Process becomes punishment in an exercise in discipline.  In the act of making, the intricacies become monotonously enthralling and the mind seems to drift, occupying a space of flow akin to psychological subspace - a frame of mind submissives adopt during scenes.  Both produce a state of mind only aware of the present; time seems to drag on and external stressors are completely blocked out.  In these moments, zoning out comes easily and focusing on the minutia holds my attention.  In the work, suffering is harnessed and replaced by agency; abrasions that are normally despised are put in a desirable light.  Though the pain is present in the themes and process, the art is more than the pain portrayed.  It morphs and grows around the painful inscriptions and shows feminine bodies that are more than their scars and the wounds they withstand.  They rise above the pain, not dwelling in it, but instead embracing the ephemeral nature of the bruises imparted and skin's natural ability to heal.