The Way We See

Exploring Reflection, Fragmentation, and Perception

The Way We See is a fabricated study that explores how mirrors shape perception, reflection, and spatial experience. The project combines a precise aluminum structure with a fragmented mirrored skin to question how we see ourselves and the spaces we occupy. Rather than using mirrors as clean, controlled surfaces, this project embraces irregularity and breakage to create shifting, unpredictable reflections

Project Overview

At its core, this project investigates the relationship between structure and surface. An aluminum frame provides stability and clarity, while broken mirror fragments disrupt that order through reflection and light. As viewers move around the object, reflections fracture and reassemble, creating a constantly changing visual experience.

The goal was not to create a single, legible image, but to produce a condition where perception depends on movement, angle, and proximity.

Materials + Fabrication

The structure is constructed from aluminum due to its strength, lightweight nature, and adaptability during fabrication. Two primary connection methods were tested:

• Drilling and bolting, which allowed for precise alignment and mechanical stability

  
  

• JB Weld epoxy, which created strong, clean joints without visible fasteners

  
  

Comparing these methods helped reveal how different assembly techniques influence both structural performance and visual clarity.

Mirror as Skin

Broken mirrors were used as the exterior skin to challenge traditional expectations of reflection. Set against a black background, each shard reflects light differently, producing sharp contrast, depth, and visual tension. Unlike geometric or regulated mirror systems, the fractured surface creates chaos and unpredictability.

As light hits the mirror fragments, reflections scatter rather than align, forcing the viewer to piece together incomplete images of themselves and their surroundings.

Precedents + Influence

This project was informed by artists and installations that use mirrors to manipulate perception. Yayoi Kusama’s Infinity Mirror Rooms inspired ideas of repetition, immersion, and self-reflection, while fractured mirror artworks demonstrated how broken materials can create energy and movement. Contemporary mirror installations that use angled reflections and optical illusions also influenced how structure and skin interact visually.

Reflection

The Way We See explores the tension between control and chaos. The aluminum frame represents precision and structure, while the broken mirrors introduce instability and fragmentation. Together, they create an object that resists a single reading and instead encourages movement, curiosity, and self-awareness.

Rather than offering a clear reflection, the project asks viewers to slow down and reconsider how space, light, and identity are visually constructed.