Sasha Gordon's Shadow Work: Reclaiming Identity Through Surrealist Painting

Sasha Gordon, a New York-based artist, processes trauma and identity through colorful, intimate paintings that blend surrealism with personal narrative. Her work explores her biracial, queer, and plus-size identity, often depicting herself as a protagonist revisiting past memories to reclaim spaces where she once felt marginalized. Gordon's practice shifted in 2017 from hyper-realistic oil paintings to more symbolic, story-filled compositions after feeling disconnected from her earlier style. Key motifs include blow-up dolls, the moon, and food, which carry emotional weight from her upbringing in a predominantly white suburb in upstate New York. Her upcoming solo exhibition at Matthew Brown gallery in November 2026 will feature her current body of work focusing on repressed aspects of identity. Gordon describes her process as 'shadow work,' a form of self-education that integrates repressed parts of the self. Paintings like 'Temporary' and 'Drive Through' dramatize experiences of racial and body-image anxiety, while 'Yukine in Moonlight' addresses guilt over prioritizing her own needs over her mother's. Gordon's work aims to create a disorienting, surreal experience for viewers, reflecting her own struggles with depression and anxiety. The article originally appeared in Hi-Fructose Issue 55.