Dress Code

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.

WEAR AND TEAR - 2024, 68 x 83 in., acrylic on canvas

Artist Bio

Shannon Zembriski is a Philadelphia based artist. Her works honor her first form of self expression through dressing and is heavily influenced by her background in textile design. She aims to celebrate the power of clothing as means of identity and expression. Pairing this with  The graphic nature of the works is brought to life through striking compositions and limited color usage.