Sloane-Duncan’s paintings explore the tensions between public and private, and question whether we can ever fully be known by another person. She investigates the strategies we as humans use to veil or mask our truest selves and the reasons why we hold back and keep parts of ourselves private, even from those closest to us. The self-portraits raise questions essential to Sloane-Duncan’s practice: How and why do we use personal embellishment to shape others’ views of ourselves? Are self-adornment and interior decor forms of expression or manipulation?