The Adopted Child is a series of paintings based on societal presumptions and falsehoods surrounding the temperament, mental state, and character of adopted children. As an adopted person with sealed records--meaning I am legally prevented from obtaining my own birth records--I address assertions made by friends, colleagues, doctors, authors, and strangers about my--and other adoptees'--unique situation. These collected assumptions run the gamut from well-intentioned advice on seeking out family members to lurid speculation on the sexually deviant tendencies of the adult orphan. Each painting represents the summation of comments I have heard or read. Beyond just the scope of adoption, this body work speaks broadly to the dangerous role assumptive behavior plays in perpetuating the seductive yet damaging mythologies surrounding certain groups of people.