Acrylic paintings by Shannon Zembriski

Clothing is our second skin—a silent yet powerful language that speaks before we do. Dress Code is a series of self-portraits that explore the intersection of fashion and identity, using her personal wardrobe as both subject and storyteller. Each painting captures a version of herself, dressed in pieces collected over the years, each carrying memories, emotions, and fragments of past selves.

The title, Dress Code, plays with the idea of fashion as both a form of self-expression and an unspoken set of rules we navigate daily. From casual to formal, structured to free-flowing, these outfits reflect the ever-shifting nature of identity—at times intentional, at others, uncertain. This body of work questions: Do we dress for ourselves or for the world? Who are we when we shed the expectation of a “dress code”?

With bold compositions and a deliberately limited color palette, she distills each moment to its essence, highlighting the tension between self-perception and external interpretation. Through this work, she celebrates the power of clothing to shape, conceal, and reveal who we are.