“It is no longer a mere expression in my world. By using thousands of hand-cutouts from magazines and meticulously pasting them on paper to form sumptuous larger-than life lips, this art is not just “read” but devoured by the viewers eye in both aesthetics and interpretation. People have asked me “Why lips?” and when I begin to think about it on a subconscious level—beyond just its universally appealing aesthetics—I see the metaphors and symbolism. Art is like my mouthpiece to the world and it speaks to so many people, so that’s what the “Read My Lips” collection symbolizes. The title of course is a direct ode to my medium, 100% hand cutouts from recycled fashion magazines. I also have had some realizations while spending hundreds of hours creating this collection: lips are an entity unto themselves, metaphorically-speaking the teeth are like the eyes of the mouth and the mouth is like the face frame. The most meticulous part of bringing lips to life is the teeth: just as the eyes bring life and beauty to the face, the aesthetics of teeth give life and beauty to the lips that frame it. .” -Whitney