This group exhibition reflects the nuanced, conflicted relationships between what appears on the surface, social expectations and disappointment, and what is forcefully concealed.

The term Emotional Labor was coined by Berkeley sociologist Arlie Hochschild in 1983, referring to the work being done to control one’s emotions, as required by certain professions. Hochschild described a phenomenon that impacts relations of labor, considering service industries in which workers are required to demonstrate different emotions than what they are experiencing. A canonical example is flight attendants, who are required to smile and remain friendly and calm even when facing stressful situations.