Parabatai

Sculpture incorporating plaster, a wooden pedestal, and metal armature.
This sculpture is a representation of my experience in online fandom culture. I became heavily involved in fandom when I had to transfer to a new middle school. Struggling with being in a new environment with new people, I looked to the online fandom community for a sense of belonging. I found that I was able to communicate online the way I couldn’t in real life and make friends who shared the same interests in tv shows and fanart that I did. Eventually, a group of us formed a bond and for several years helped each other out in tough times. I believe that these friends have changed my life for the better and I wouldn’t be who and where I am without them.
The title "Parabatai" comes from the Shadowhunters fandom, one of the books/shows we connected over. It is a term used to describe a pair of partners, or a group of friends in my case, who are bonded together for life through a ceremony (like a platonic marriage).
The arms were made with an alginate mold and cast in plaster. For stability and attachment of the arms to the base, the cast was attached to a metal rod welded onto a steel plate that was screwed onto the pedestal. The plaster mound was created by applying thick layers of plaster by hand. The gestures seen throughout the plaster suggest a pulling motion of my arm out of the mound.