My undergraduate thesis project, titled “Do You Know Who You Are?”, explores a central question: What is the female gaze from the perspective of young women? I created a photo book for this introspective project, which challenges the audience to question not only how we see ourselves but, more importantly, how we see women. Oftentimes, the female body is viewed as a sexual entity, seen through the male gaze—the perspective of men. The female gaze, however, remains an undefined concept. What is the female gaze? How is the female gaze influenced by a male-dominated society where the female body is often portrayed as a sexual entity?
Discovering who you are is an intimate, internal battle. My images aim to convey a sense of elegance and intimacy, as I sought to showcase the female body in a way that does not serve anyone. Most of the images were taken using a time-lapse/interval sequence to capture a more candid and naturalistic look. The intentional blur delves into the unclear path of self-discovery, as well as the hazy nature of how we perceive ourselves. As a young adult, I’ve found that self-perception often feels like a mix of conflicting, gray viewpoints. There are days filled with compassion and there are darker days marked by self-deprecation.
The juxtaposition of closed portraits with nature images offers an external perspective, contrasting the vast world that may view women in many different ways with our intimate, internal selves. How do we see ourselves, and how much of that perception is influenced—or even manipulated—by how the world portrays women?
These images are part of a larger photo book collection, which won the Fall 2022 Undergraduate Student Research Award for Art at Pace University.
