Artist statement

I remember seeing my mom looking at her naked body in the mirror. She was observing her light skin, her C-section scar, her bushy pubic hair, her love handles, her sagging breasts, her red moles. She was saying demeaning harsh comments out loud, about how ugly her body was. And as a child, I just believed her. My fascination with naked bodies steadily grew with me since then, but I learned to be ashamed of this, as well as my own body. Soon enough, the numerous expectations and norms that I felt society put on female bodies weighed on me. My shame grew larger, as did my loneliness.

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A lot changed when I found my partner. For once, I was allowed to observe another human body without any guilt or reproach. Looking at the texture of its skin - how the body was shaped by muscles, fat, and hair - made me realize how natural beauty is diluted by societal norms. Little by little, my confidence grew to reveal more and more of the human body in my work, and to exhibit nudity, including my own. I finally acknowledged my mom’s body for what it was: a body with inherent beauty. Human bodies are all complex; full of marvelous details all along there to be noticed.