My practice revolves around the idea of beauty in social media. The concept started with an interest in surveillance, and how this impacts our world right now, which automatically went to social media. I focus on beauty standards in women, as they are the most affected by surveillance, control and invasion of privacy. I started this representation by thinking of fish eye views and peepholes. In the paintings, the heads are shown as bigger in the foreground and the bodies smaller in the background. Bringing discomfort to the viewer, the figures look innocent but also wanting the attention of the viewer, through warm and pastel colors, that represent the purity of the bodies. The figures also look as if they will step out of the canvas, invading the privacy of others. In my latest work, I am focusing more on the high heels and the legs of the women, as they are seen as the etiquette of femininity. The bodies look distorted, such as the filters on social media change the bodies, showing a different version of the person. I am using suede and leather pieces on my paintings, sewing them onto the canvas, pushing my comfort zone of painting only, wanting to work with mixed media.
Thinking of desire and innocence, I made paintings of groups of girls, painted in pastel colors but also colors such as green, magenta and cobalt blue. The women are shown as objects of observation but also them looking at each other and at the viewer, creating a sense of discomfort. For my latest paintings, I took inspiration from the fashion world and brands like Mugler and Balmain, with elements of futurism and sci-fi. I experimented in changing the color pallete , creating a mirror like effect in the background of the painting, or a metallic surface.
Interested in the idea of stage and theatre, I made ceramic shoes from air-drying clay, acrylic and varnish for a glossy finish. These shoes are inspired by the Versace 80’s shoes, which represent a statement of the fashion scene and also of femininity, as presented by society. I added plinths with similar patterns like the shoes, so they match them perfectly. These latest elements bring a comical feeling to the work, making it more playful and in a way, hiding what the work is really about.
