What happens when the way we read something fails?

The first phrase for this artwork came almost immediately: “Don’t simplify me.” It felt personal. We constantly reduce people to labels and quick conclusions, creating simplified versions of who they are.
But one phrase wasn’t enough. I began looking for other statements that could challenge the way we read and interpret.
Eventually, three phrases emerged:
“I am not linear” uses distorted letters to explore how our brains fill in gaps and assume meaning.
“You don’t define me” challenges the familiar left-to-right direction of reading and the systems we use to categorize people.
“Don’t simplify me” can only be read through a mirror, making the viewer part of the act of interpretation.

Together, they became the triptych Identity: The Failure of Reading, about how we “read” people much like we read text: quickly, automatically, and often incorrectly.