Have You Seen Her, (2024)
A film by Maia Ngozi
Starring Avian Tate
ARTIST STATEMENT
Have You Seen Her is a short-film that combines makeup, styling, and sound design to document the disharmonious idea of existence being a performance. Have you ever suffered from imposter syndrome? Have you ever strived for the feeling of normalcy? Maybe even to make it seem like you have it all together? What does it feel like to take off the mask? Who are you without it?Recipient of the Howard Vreeland Award from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2024
THE PROCESS
When I saw Pat McGrath's innovative glass-skin porcelain doll look for Maison Margiela, I was stunned. I saw a plethora of videos of people re-creating it soon after it debuted. Although its smooth, glass finish is extremely ingenious, the part that struck me most was the removal process. When the mask is applied, it creates a clear barrier that doesn't disturb makeup- and when it’s removed it looked like someone's skin is peeling off. I began experimenting immediately.
I wanted to try to give it a “film” feeling, so I used Logic Pro X, my voice, and my guitar and bass to create a score to add to the atmosphere of the film. The first track establishes the feeling of the film, which is peaceful yet dissonant: a combination that tends to make people uncomfortable and alert. For the second track, I wanted to double down on the “horror” aspect of the film, which really leans into dissonance and minor chord progressions.
Image from vogue.com
