The Bluest Eye

Toni Morrison

The Bluest Eye is the most emotionally devastating book I’ve ever read. Each time I revisit it, my sorrow deepens, pulling me further into Pecola’s world of pain, self-loathing, and despair. I connect with her feelings of inadequacy, recalling my own childhood longing to have blue eyes like my older sister. But when you add the weight of societal beauty standards, racial prejudice, poverty, and abuse, it becomes clear just how overwhelming the journey to self-love can feel—almost impossible to overcome.

For the backdrop, I selected weathered, vintage, and hand-dyed blue paper to represent the poverty and emotional void that envelop the characters. By layering matte and glossy black paints with shades of vibrant blue and charcoal, I aimed to vividly capture the deep sorrow and desperation within Pecola’s fractured state of mind.