Excavating Self was created between January and April 2023 and is comprised of two series and other additional works. It starts and ends with a set of self portraits that reflect on the experience before and after creating this body of work. The first series, On Sacrifice, draws on experiences from a previous relationship, the feelings surrounding them, and the emotional fallout of the breakup. The second series, Juntos, explores relationships with family, past and current loves, and the way these relationships shape understanding of identity. The remaining pieces focus on topics such as ancestry, gender expression, and sexuality. Other central themes include self discovery, preserving memory, and love in all of its multiple truths. All pieces were created using intaglio printmaking techniques with hand written text.

Understanding major historical events often provides novel insights into current conflicts. More specifically, analyzing international disputes through the lens of identity, memory, and narrative systems creates a basis for comprehending the power of collective thought in large political systems. The Bosnian and Ukrainian Wars are unique case studies that show the interrelated nature of memory and identity politics. This thesis seeks to identify disinformation systems within these conflicts that contribute to a pan-Slavic identity. Additionally, it will show the connection between the Bosnian and Ukrainian Wars in its programming, narrative-building techniques, and use of identity as a basis for strength. Understanding how identity is formed under certain political atmospheres is essential because it strengthens our ideas of individual thought within community identities. Throughout this thesis a literature review will show the array of identity, memory, and misinformation studies, thus pointing to future research areas.