Plaything, 2023
Artist Statement
TOUCH ME, GRAB ME, UNDRESS ME IN YOUR MIND. MY EXISTENCE IS YOUR INVITATION.
I'M NOTHING MORE THAN A WOMAN, NOTHING MORE THAN YOUR PLAYTHING.
Plaything is a project that explores the idea of the normalized verbal sexual harrassment that femme presenting individuals face and the grating toll it takes on us that does not visualize itself in the same way physical abuse does. It stands as a testament against misogyny and violence against women in all forms.
I explored my own experiences being subjected to this abuse to create this work, which resulted in a common denominator between each incident: the feeling of being incurably dirty without a way to clean myself from the experience. For the series I chose to take self portraits of my body, rub them in dirt and try desperately to scrub them clean with a sponge, treating the negatives as an extension of my own being.
Plaything is a work of strength, reconciliation with self, and visibility of the invisible; the innate rights given to men to objectify and the inherent crime of a woman's mere existence.
If you or a loved one are struggling with sexual harassment or other forms of sexual violence, you are not alone.
Reach out to a professional or consult the following resources.