Looking at Fear

Humans are social animals, who tend to find connections with everything around them, whether it be another human, animal or even inanimate objects. We think in metaphors. They help us bridge our gap between the familiar and unfamiliar. This tendency to project human like qualities onto non-human agents, known as anthropomorphism, is the most common of all metaphorical modes. It is an ancientand almost universal practice, from ancient myths to Aesop’s fables to poetry, art and movies.

As I moved further into the topic, I decided to narrow down my research and focused on exploring our metaphor-riddled relationship with animals in different aspects. For example, how the simplistic nature of animal cartoons helps us understand real life concepts by making them less overtly anchored in reality. Or the ways of using animal metaphors as a visual device to communicate an inexpressible idea.

By using animal metaphors as a tool, I intend to visualize my fears and phobias, most of which are rooted in my childhood experiences By choosing a certain few animals, I explore how it interacts with me and my surroundings. I rely on the animal’s physical features and body language in my work as a metaphor for the underlying feeling of fear.