EMILIA'S EMOTIONS

2016. In honor of my friend Emilia, who deployed shortly after the project was completed. This exists as an archive of the turmoil she felt, & still feels.

The army has always been a part of Emilia’s life. It provides her with a means to live, but it’s also caused countless stressors that have lessened her quality of life. The army is a motivational factor, but at great psychological costs. In order to keep her job, Emilia has had to starve herself not only physically, but mentally. Her mind is in a state of limbo: she desperately needs this job, & desperately wants to be free of her home life, but she is also deeply disenchanted by the army’s system of ruthless physicals & overall micromanagement. As she nears deployment, Emilia also feels alienated by her friends – who know that she’ll be leaving for quite some time, yet don’t seem to realize it. I wanted to convey ALL of the emotions a soldier feels, & I wanted to create a lasting testament to our friendship – because even I don’t know when I’ll see her next.