2020 began as a normal year and quickly turned into something unprecedented, at least in my lifetime. Opportunities to perform live evaporated, and like many artists I was left with the option of going digital. For various reasons I was not excited to engage in live streaming performances, but I wanted to create a project with a public expression and a rigorous daily protocol.

“Beautify” started with a simple plan: I took a self-portrait with my smartphone every day in May. The images were augmented with a body-editing app, accentuating and exaggerating certain physical traits, and posted to Instagram the same day. I did not plan what the next day’s image would look like; I continued this protocol for the duration of the month, using props and clothes that I had in the studio or had borrowed.

The images were presented on social media partially as a comment on the daily grind of content creation during the pandemic lock-down, but also as a personal exploration of the value of selfies. Each of the 31 images I posted is a reflection of some part of my identity.