Unknown Sound Portraits

June 2026 - Present

Graphite Drawings by Emma Rarick

Music and portraiture both demand a profound intimacy of the soul. To create this series, I sat with the portraits of local musicians whose performances I had experienced briefly, confronting the fleeting nature of the memory of music and passion of the artist.

Holding eye contact with a portrait through the page for hours at a time is an intense, emotional process. Although drawing is a solitary expedition, the studio begins to feel crowded as familiar facial features spark a sense of comfort in the brain.

This sonic memory fluctuates, fading in and out much like the graphite lines of my drawings. Some details remain vivid, while others shift, requiring a cautious, deliberate carving out of the essence of their sound. I instinctively dedicate hours of meticulous care to each portrait, driven by a responsibility to honor the courage it took for the artist to share their music with the world.