Untitled, 2020, 8.5 x 11 inches , Acrylic paint on homemade paper
The focus of my work is to celebrate the female figure in its many shapes and sizes. My goal is to channel my own insecurities into an intimate body of work that celebrates body positivity for all women. I focus on the torso area, the most private area of a woman’s body, and put it on public display for celebration. I’ve chosen figures that represent women across the whole spectrum; thin, plus size, light skin, dark skin, stretch marks, body hair, moles, etc. This collection of paintings is very personal to me, which is reflected through the surface. I’ve made homemade recycled paper from my old notes, journals, exams, essays, reminders and many other personal papers to me. The surface is a reflection of my life, which symbolizes me giving new life to my past self and finally being able to celebrate me for who I am. Destroying these old papers that housed my past insecurities is an act of catharsis and my own personal celebration.
Being that my goal is to show real women’s bodies, imperfections and all, my work is truly a reflection of reality. It is meant to show the female figure in its truest raw form. So much of the media we consume nowadays is facetuned and photoshopped, it’s easy to forget that so many of the women we see online aren’t real. Further, the paper I’ve made serves as a reflection of my life and my own personal reality. Thus reflecting my own life, as well as the reality of the female figure, imperfections and all.