Artist Justine Reyes spent the last two years creating a body of work that attempts to tackle the issue of identity and emotional investment. As an artist, Reyes is able to raise more questions than she answers and does so in a way that is uncomfortably engaging.

The large-scale color photographs from Mask Series are images of the artist wearing masks, which she created out of pantyhose. The masks are hand-sewn and incorporate various materials. By photographing herself wearing them, she is able to make public a private performance, both an erotic and obscene gesture. She works with pantyhose because they are a highly fetishized material but to also make reference to the pantyhose masks of criminals.

The mystery that the veil or mask creates is one that is highly sexualized, says the artist. There is a tension created by veiling. Some people are afraid of not knowing what lies beneath the veil. In this work, I use the mask to explore issues of identity, veiling and the gaze in relationship to power and sexuality.

The veil today is full of multi-layered complexities that are entwined within women's lives. A compounded but worthy subject, it continues to spark an intense debate from all sections of society. Reyes believes the veils create a sort of tension, an enticing boundary both physical and psychological.

Justine Reyes lives and works in New York. She recently received her MFA from the San Francisco Art Institute, and her BFA from Syracuse University in 2001. Reyes' work revolves around issues of identity and utilizes a range of mediums including photography, installation and video. She has shown her work both nationally and internationally. She participated in Proyecto Circo at the 8th Havana Biennial in Havana, Cuba, and the exhibition of Fragments of Contemporary Urban Experience, which traveled from San Francisco City Hall to the Michaelis Gallery in South Africa. Reyes' most recent work, Mask Series, was featured in part in the Barcelona BAC festival in Piel de las Piels at the La Santa Gallery.