When it comes to femininity and “acting like a lady”, there remain various expected behaviors that are derived from centuries old traditions, and others are contemporary and hyper feminized in the way of makeup, cosmetic surgeries and fashion. Needless to say, “acting like a lady” is no longer a singular pursuit and has created so much dissonance for me personally, I could not help but to examine my own feminine identity within the term “act like a lady”.
There was a constant whisper throughout my youth to “act like a lady”. Confused by societal expectations of what it meant to be a “lady” coupled with women’s liberation and ever changing social and domestic constructs, those words were often the perfect catalyst for adolescent rebellion. Without a doubt, there is something becoming of a “lady” and yet, with the continuous shifting of gender, identity, and acceptable practices, the idea of “acting like a lady” remains somewhat complex and overbearing.
Turning the lens on myself, I have deconstructed various personal objects that are considered feminine and reconstructed them using bright colors and new contexts as a way to subversively empower myself and redefine my identity as a lady and the cultural narrative around this notion. Such arrangements evoke the essence of simultaneous desire and absurdity, a psychological manifestation of our culture of beauty and truth.
Through the use of photography, silk screen, risographs, textiles and neon, my work continues to highlight feminism, beauty, consumption and contemporary notions of gender.
