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Moving identity – expressing multiple identities through art
Exploring identity through change and creation
To start with, identity is not fixed. It can evolve over time and change depending on where we are, who we are with, or how we feel. In today’s world, people often carry multiple identities either cultural, social, or gendered and may choose to show different sides of themselves in different situations.
Through art, especially photography and costume, many individuals explore this idea of moving identity. They create different versions of themselves but also imagine how others may see them. Art becomes a tool to question who we really are and how identity can be fluid, not limited by stereotypes or social roles.
Costumes, makeup, and photography are not only ways to disguise oneself, they can also reveal something deeper. They allow people to express freedom, play with social expectations, or question rigid labels. Artists who transform their appearance challenge the idea that identity is singular or permanent.
This artistic exploration helps others see that there is no "normal" way to be. It encourages people to accept complexity, difference, and change. That’s how identity becomes a space of creation, far from limitation.
Cindy Sherman : transforming identity through photography
American visual artist Cindy Sherman is famous for using photography to explore identity, especially gender and stereotypes. In her work, she becomes both the photographer and the model. She takes pictures of herself in costumes, wigs, and makeup but each time, she plays a different character.
Sherman does not try to show her true self. Instead, she uses her face and body like a canvas to represent other people like a housewife, a film star, a clown, or an old woman. Through these transformations, she questions how identity is shaped by social expectations, especially for women.
For example, in her famous « Untitled Film Stills » series from the late 1970s, Sherman imitates scenes from imaginary movies. Each image looks familiar, like a classic Hollywood scene, but there is no real story. The characters are fake and that’s the point. Sherman’s aim is to make us see how often our image of women comes from media clichés, not from reality.
By changing her identity in every photograph, she shows that identity is not natural or stable it’s something performed. Her work invites us to think : are we being ourselves, or are we just playing roles society gives us ?
Cindy Sherman’s art proves that we can question and reshape our identity. Thanks to creativity and transformation, we can break stereotypes and show that being human means being multiple, complex, and ever-changing.
