Photos

Learned femininity self-portrait series, 2022. 

This series of work explores what was once a private and intimate ritual for older generations of women. My generation is the last to experience the sacred tradition of watching our mothers apply makeup. Before YouTube tutorials and social media, most women learned the art of makeup from a young age simply by observing their mothers. Some of my most vivid childhood memories are of those quiet morning moments, standing in the bathroom, watching my mother carefully apply her makeup. These rituals were often deeply personal—an intimate time for mothers and daughters to connect, free from the interruptions of the men in the household. Makeup time was, and still is, a sacred practice—a link to the past and to the generations of women who came before us.