Pieces of Me: Exhibition Reception
Category: Event Calendar
Date and Time
- Saturday, Nov 7, 2026 1pm - 3pm
Location
Akron Coffee Roasters
30 N High St
Details
Come hang out THIS Saturday from 1 - 3 pm at Akron Coffee Roasters and check out Anna E. Young's new show, "Pieces of Me". Good coffee, great company!
"Pieces of Me" is an extension of Anna E. Young's photographic series, Life’s a F***ing Joke, which she started in 2024. The exhibition includes outtakes from photoshoots conducted over the past few years. She didn’t select these specific images at first because she was overly conscious of her body, facial expressions, or unflattering poses that exaggerated what she saw as flaws. After revisiting the work, she went through hundreds of unedited photographs and found hidden beauty. Using humor as a coping mechanism, Young employs extreme image cropping, physically cutting up photographs, rearranging fragmented pieces of her face to create new compositions. She further manipulates the images by stretching or distorting facial features digitally, amplifying awkward angles or perceived imperfections to reflect the feeling of living with body dysmorphia. Through her work, Young hopes viewers will recognize a part of themselves in these playful pieces, encouraging them to reflect on their own inner critic and find humor and acceptance in their lives.
Anna E. Young is an artist and arts advocate. She holds an M.F.A. in Photography from Cranbrook Academy of Art and a B.F.A. from The University of Akron, with minors in printmaking, art history, and professional photography. Young works full-time at Summit Artspace as the Director of Artist Programs and Exhibitions. She taught as an assistant lecturer in the 2D Design and Photography departments at The University of Akron's Myers School of Art for over 3 years and currently serves as an adjunct professor in the photography department at Cleveland Institute of Art. She co-founded KINK Contemporary, an arts organization dedicated to supporting emerging artists and curators, in 2019. Young turns her personal shame and trauma into a celebration by creating self-portraits featuring characters and compositions that use exaggeration, vibrant colors, and camp, reclaiming autonomy after years of performing in response to bullying and managing her inner critic.
