skhēma is an interdisciplinary project which explores Erving Goffman’s dramaturgy, primarily through the process of handcrafting fabric masks and printmaking. 

Goffman theorises that much like in theatre; where actors transform into their character ‘backstage’ before performing, individuals adopt a variety of personas and characteristics in their everyday social interactions to prevent embarrassment. 

Chloe Nolan takes interest in this notion of ‘impression management’, and the ways in which we alter and construct our identity depending on others expectations. As someone with Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD), Nolan has found Goffman’s theory to deeply resonates with her. 

Through the process of handcrafting fabric masks, Nolan aims to reflect upon her identity and navigate the relationship between her personal presentation of self and Borderline Personality Disorder. The repetitive process by which she make these masks also pays homage to the therapy technique ‘mindfulness’, which teaches participants to ground oneself in the present moment. 

Chloe Nolan is an emerging artist from unceded Whadjuk Noongar Boodjar, working primarily in installation, performance and media arts. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Fine Art and Professional Writing from Curtin University. Nolan’s artistic practice investigates how the ‘feminine’ exists within complex structures of power, and the various asymmetries that result from such involute relationships. She aims to explore the nature of identity through engaging viewers in a dialogue between pre-existing visual language and new narratives.