By Liana DeMasi

© Adrien Broom, The Green Room. — © Adrien Broom, *The Green Room.*

What does it mean to be?—alone, together, around, explorative, self-reflective. Adrien Broom explores the concept of being in her series of the same name. Shot at the United Kingdom’s Wentworth Woodhouse, “Being” demands us to explore the idea of self and connection—both to ourselves, others, and the rest of the world.

© Adrien Broom, The East Wing. — © Adrien Broom, *The East Wing.*

There is a glow that is present throughout the entire series, perhaps representing the inner self. Most tangibly, we see a figure in a glowing, white dress. She is a dichotomous presence in the darker, cloudy setting—a light amid the shadows.

© Adrien Broom, The Marble Hall. — © Adrien Broom, *The Marble Hall.*

Her ghostly appearance has an eerie quality. Perhaps eerie isn't the correct word—her presence is not an insidious one, but one that seems to hold the secret to self-awareness. She appears eerie only because the journey towards self-enlightenment can be a lonely, dark, mysterious one.

© Adrien Broom, The Forest of Columns. — © Adrien Broom, *The Forest of Columns.*

Her individual presence is broken up between human and animal connection. Their dynamic is not hostile, nor is it outwardly familiar, a reminder that an exploration of self is coupled with interaction with others.

The loneliness present in this series is met with undeniable beauty. The location, Broom’s craft, the glow—everything is intentional, everything has been thoroughly thought out. These assets illuminate the fact that our journey through life, while lonely and daunting, is coalesced with beauty.