taroghost

IG: @taroghost

taroghost.carrd.co

TITLE: Dayflower, 2024 ($300)
MEDIUM: Oil on Canvas (30x40)

DESCRIPTIONS:
Before British colonization, women in India did not have to wear blouses underneath their saris. White is traditionally worn for funerals in Indian culture, whereas in American culture it is often worn for weddings, and being a first generation American I wanted to use both of those meanings in this piece: women are often expected and pressured to marry as soon as they can, and in some cases it can be the death of their inner selves, who they are as people, their individuality. I see myself in the women in my family who persevered despite their situations making it nearly impossible for them to grow with these societal expectations. Nevertheless, they still found ways to cultivate life, through their families, through plants, through art, through food and music. I can never forget the sacrifices the women before me endured to make a path for a better future. I painted this as an ode to those women. You don’t have to wear a blouse with your sari; you are not less than for the path you choose to take.

BIO/ARTIST STATEMENT:

Melanie Vaughn (taroghost) is a multimedia artist who graduated with the BA in studio art at the University of South Florida. As a 23-year-old first generation Guyanese American artist, their work is influenced by both their cultural heritage and personal experiences, often exploring themes of identity, femininity, and the fluidity of self-expression. They thrive on experimentation, working with a variety of mediums to uncover new methods of bold mark-making to communicate emotion and narrative through gesture and form. Their goal is to one day have their own studio practice continuing to create works about their identity and femininity.