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"I started looking in the mirror and only seeing..." | Oil And Acrylic Painting in Paintings by April Werle. Item composed of wood compatible with contemporary and eclectic & maximalism style
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"I started looking in the mirror and only seeing..." | Oil And Acrylic Painting in Paintings by April Werle. Item composed of wood compatible with contemporary and eclectic & maximalism style
"I started looking in the mirror and only seeing..." | Oil And Acrylic Painting in Paintings by April Werle. Item composed of wood compatible with contemporary and eclectic & maximalism style

Created and Sold by April Werle

April Werle

"I started looking in the mirror and only seeing..." - Paintings

Price $1,300

In Stock Now

Shipping: UPS 3-7 days
Estimated Arrival: May 27, 2024

Handmade

Woman Owned

Made In USA

DimensionsWeight
36H x 24W x 1.5D in
91.44H x 60.96W x 3.81D cm

Inspired by mixed-race identity and belonging.

“I started looking in the mirror and only seeing a white person.”
36 x 24 in
Acrylic and stain on wood panel

”I started looking in the mirror and only seeing a white person.” is painted using acrylic and stain on wood panel. It is a medium-sized painting on an artist’s high quality basswood panel.

The painting is made layer by layer through masking. As a result of this process, each painted element is levitated from the surface of the wood. Combining the polished edges with the expressive mark making within each object creates a vibrant contrast and feeling of balance.



“I started looking in the mirror and only seeing a white person.” is inspired by mixed-race identity and belonging.

This piece was created for my solo exhibition Halo-Halo: The Mixed Children.

Halo-Halo is a cold Filipino dessert that translates to mix-mix and is a cute way to refer to mixed-blood Filipinos.

This show is based on thoughts and phrases that have stuck with me while reflecting on my cultural identity.

Growing up as a mixed person in Montana, I’ve constantly struggled with my sense of belonging. This struggle has existed on both sides of my cultural identity. I’ve struggled to feel belonging both in the dominant culture in Montana, as well as within the Filipino community. In this new series, I am exploring the visual language of what it is to be multicultural. I am exploring the lore of a mixed person, who I like to refer to as a shapeshifter. Sometimes we can influence how others perceive us—which is often through code-switching. But mostly, we cannot control how others interpret us.

I challenge myself and the viewer to examine how we view the hands. What are the relationships with other hands, and how do they present in their environments?

Item "I started looking in the mirror and only seeing..."
Created by April Werle
As seen in Private Residence, Missoula, MT
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April Werle
Meet the Creator
Wescover creator since 2019
Painter exploring mixed-race identity and belonging

April Werle is an emerging Filipino American painter.

Werle’s narrative paintings explore how culture is passed down through generations in the diaspora. Influenced by her parents’ arranged marriage, Werle’s works explore themes of mixed-race identity, belonging, home, and family by reimagining memories and shared family stories through the subtle and effective body language of hands.

Werle’s paintings have been exhibited at the Holter Museum of Art, Missoula Art Museum, and The Other Art Fair Los Angeles. Her work has also been featured in New Visionary Magazine and Kapwa Magazine.

April Werle is the recipient of several awards including an ARPA Grant and Strategic Investment Grant from the Montana Arts Council.

She currently lives and works in Missoula, Montana.