Sonja Hesslow’s The Bird Figure Is My Alter Ego was created during a contemporary art course when she felt constrained by an artistic practice shaped by expectations and sales. She created a physical bird figure as a symbol of the free, playful practice she wanted to reclaim. Its wings are made from scrap metal connected to her life and history, while her own hair forms part of the figure. Symbols on the wings represent values and reminders. Hesslow photographed the artwork, which will also be exhibited in three-dimensional form.