Emotions Are Built, Not Found: Lisa Feldman Barrett and the Constructed Mind

Barrett, Lisa Feldman. 2017. How Emotions Are Made: The Secret Life of the Brain. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.

Barrett challenges the classical notion that emotions are universal, arguing instead that they are constructed by the brain—shaped by culture, context, and learned associations. This idea fundamentally shifted how I understand the emotional content of my work.

In pieces using ephemeral and sensory materials—like chocolate, acrylic, or soap—I try to express how emotions are not fixed, but fluid. Barrett’s theory backs this up: we don’t have emotions, we make them. That aligns perfectly with my exploration of identity as a performance shaped by external pressure and internal response, especially within youth culture.

Her neuroscience provides conceptual legitimacy to my choice of materials and formats. AR layers, shifting light, and changing textures aren’t just aesthetic—they embody the malleability of emotional experience, inviting viewers to reflect on how perception itself is always in flux.

#constructedemotion #sensoryperception #affect #mentalhealth #contemporaryidentity