Projection Mapping Studies – See Me As I Am
See Me As I Am is a projection-mapped sculptural work that responds to Terence Blanchard’s haunting composition of the same name. Rooted in a deep emotional and social urgency, the piece confronts the role that media and visual culture play in shaping public perceptions of individuals, particularly those who have lost their lives during encounters with law enforcement.
The sculpture becomes a surface for remembrance, bearing the faces of unarmed citizens who were killed by police. These individuals are not presented through the lens of crime statistics or sensationalist headlines, but rather as they were: parents, children, students, soldiers, and neighbors. The projection work insists on their full humanity, countering the dehumanizing narratives that often dominate public discourse. Each image is a gesture of visibility, an invitation to acknowledge the lives behind the headlines.
By invoking the phrase See Me As I Am, the work calls for a shift in perception, from fear and stereotype to recognition and empathy. The sculpture invites viewers to resist the filter of media projection momentarily and consider a more truthful, humanizing lens. It is a meditative space, one that seeks not only to remember but to inspire accountability, compassion, and change.
Projection Mapping Studies. See Me As I Am, Terence Blanchard and E- Collective, Projection Mapping on 3-Dimensional Sculpture, Dallas, TX, 2017.