Marie

Oil on linen, 24” x 18”, 2025

I asked one of my daughter’s friends to stand in front of a mirror, without makeup, simply to look at herself and take a picture. This is what she gave me. At first, I asked if I could get a photo without the nose ring, but before she could explain how difficult that would be, I said, “No—leave it all in.” Because she is beautiful. And this image is true—it’s her.

For generations, women have been squeezed, shrunk, and manipulated to appeal to the male gaze. Be this shape, that shape, be stronger, be thinner, be more feminine, be less loud, be more confident—it’s endless.

How about we just be? That’s Marie.