Blue Achenbach

Imagined Deities

Class of: 2024

Major: Fashion Design BFA

Medium: Watercolor, Ink

Faculty: Alaiyo Bradshaw

Prompt: For our final project, we were given the freedom to choose our subject matter as long as it would was made on at least two images and was primarily painted in watercolor. For my final, I decided to create two portraits of imagined deities.

For my final project, I decided to paint two portraits of imagined deities. Although roughly inspired by contemporary religious idols, I began this project with the intent to create deities that seemed more alien-like and unusual in comparison to conventional depictions of deities. I incorporated aspects of real-world religious figures, specifically features of the Virgin Mary from Christianity and Durga from Hinduism. My portraits depict Mind, consisting of mostly greens, and Inevitability, painted in mostly purple. In this imagined religion, Mind would be the embodiment of memory, human experience, and nature while Inevitability would represent cycles, similar to Ouroboros. I have been interested in portraiture and mythological creatures for a large part of my life, and wanted to depict those interests in my final project.