Woman Who Once Had Wings

As a woman, I have felt the vulnerability and injustice of my gender. I have experienced the joys and power of my body, but also harmful sexual advances, harassment, and abuse - an unfortunate reality that is shared by many. Now in my 50s, my invisible, aging body carries both the scars and desires of my youth. This work is a reckoning for past wounds. I use self-portraiture to unapologetically own the gaze upon my body. I use images of the sky in juxtaposition to represent the desire to break free from emotional and psychological bondage. Motifs of wet and dry materials speak to aging. While I cannot presume that my physical body (size, shape, skin color, age) is universally relatable, I intend for the concepts to be understood on a larger, archetypal level.