Alvina Lai

“The Color of Mirrors” is a photography project exploring the relationship between seclusion and contemplation. The photographs are a study of the quotidian, illustrating the subtle moments often missed in daily life. Observations of the natural and man-made world show the delicately interconnected moments of the day to day, highlighting the beauty that is often missed due to the aggressive and rapid pace of contemporary society. The project is a soft presentation found, not made, in the world in an attempt to draw attention to not only the quiet poetry of the images, but also to the patterns of this sensibility in hopes that viewers may develop sensitivity towards their own experiences. The development of “The Color of Mirrors” was dependent on a cerebral thought process accompanied by personal, emotional, and psychological growth over the course of many months. Inspired by photographer Rinko Kawauchi, this thesis project evolved from a study of visual association into a photographic experience of the complex layers of human nature, specifically in where its attention lies. By presenting what is often in the peripheral of appreciation, viewers may become aware of what they have come to value, and therefore not value. Ideally, viewers may gain new perspective, through the threads of mindfulness made by this project, towards their own environment, thoughts, and experiences. alvinaahl.com