Ardent Dwellings is a work about longing, self-exploration, and construction of identity through the arrangement of meticulously drawn and cut paper elements. Mainly consisting of drawn dried flower forms and expressive female hands, these elements come together in deliberate arrangements of spaces and relations. The moments of sensuality resulting from these exploratory touches signify moments created through traversing bodies and identities. To achieve this exploration visually, I created a collection of eight drawing collages and a large paper installation with mixed media components. The elements in this work are carefully placed in relation to one another with the intent of constructing an abstract narrative exploring the who, how, and the why of the self—specifically the queer self and the search for belonging that accompanies the discovery of this identity. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.F.A.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2018. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection