Hailey Urbano

My work lies within a fascination of consciousness, exploring the dreams I do have and
the memories I cannot remember. I aim to investigate perception, and the experience of
an event in relation to the human condition. For example, when we sleep, why do we tell
ourselves stories? Why do we forget the things that happen to us? I want to emphasize
the parts we can put together, and honor them, as an homage to the mind. With a goal
to leave the viewer asking questions rather than giving them answers, I use the
ambiguity of the imagery in my work to create a bridge between the human brain and
the human psyche. I ultimately aim to create a separate world, a safe space for one to
have a different experience when it comes to memory.

Recently, ideas about the passing of time have translated into inquiries of fractured
memories and juxtaposing them to dreams — why things that actually happen to us can
be difficult to recall, versus why dreaming of an irrational, made up narrative is
sometimes more clear to us than memories themselves. I try to mimic what it feels like
to not remember, and expressing my frustration with my own perception of recollection
is key in my work. I want to explore the idea of immersion, the feeling of being encased
in somewhere unfamiliar. The spaces created by my work are places for introspection,
with the channel being the imagery and environment surrounding it, in order to navigate
the irrationalities when it comes to the human consciousness.

Themes of exploration and experience are common in my work. Much of the time, I
collage imagery together to produce a non-linear narrative and often find myself using
imagery personal to me. Hands and hair, flora, and symbols of femininity are frequently
portrayed as placeholders for external pressures, identity, change and healing,
domesticity and discomfort. I use hands to push a duality of help and hurt, and hair as a
symbol for individuality; flora can act as symbols for change. Throughout my work are
symbols of femininity due to their association with women, domesticity, and discomfort.
I am influenced by the theory of the frame of reference. The idea comes from linguistics
and is phenomenal in its discourse. Having a frame of reference means that an
experience is individual and personal, which means there are no universals. This idea of
individuality and non-universality pushes my work into a mixed realm of self-analysis
and recollection. Couple this with the science of dreaming and memory, and that is
where my work emerges.

My goal is to start a discussion on ideas of the human consciousness, in visual terms,

using personal experiences as the medium. The subject matter I use is centered around
contemporary topics of introspection, reflection and the agency to self-heal, and in turn,
translate those thoughts into something tangible. I use art as a means to create a social
dialog on the health of the mind, while exploring my own personal background in order
to open a path of understanding.