Sunday Spotlight: Jaina Cipriano

Project Title: Empty Spaces

Artist Statement: Empty Spaces is a self-portraiture project exploring my alter-egos during the COVID-19 initial spring lockdown.
The pandemic coincided with huge, personal life changes. As someone who needs structure to stay grounded, I struggled to stay present. In the afternoon I began to dress myself up in a physical representation of my emotions and find somewhere empty to explore. Bathing in the hot golden sun I was able to access parts of myself the worldwide anxiety has lulled me into forgetting. These explorations brought me back into my body, able to approach the future with curiosity and minimal fear. I am playing dress-up to give myself courage, creating a happy ending when the present feels bleak.

Bio: Jaina Cipriano is a Boston-based artist working with photography, film, and installation. Her work explores the emotional toll of religious and romantic entrapment through immersive sets and emotional performances that mirror the subconscious.
In 2021 Jaina had the honor of serving on the Film and Inter-Related Media Somerville Arts Council Grant board, helping disperse thousands in funds to hard-working artists. She will also be a judge on the Arlington International Film Festival’s Student Program.
Jaina’s work was recently published in GRLSQUASH, Gastronomica, and The Boston Herald. In October 2020 she debuted her first short film, "You Don't Have to Take Orders from The Moon," a magical realism story about the darkness inside and outside us. She is working on her next film, “Trauma Bond” set to film early 2021.

You can find more of Jaina's work on her website.