Everything that I am

This piece celebrates a side of female sexuality that is rarely shown and challenges it’s standards. The woman is masturbating not for the male gaze, not to appear desirable or performative, but simply existing within a private moment on her own terms. Rather than presenting the body as something to be admired from the outside, it captures a private moment that exists entirely for the woman herself. Menstruation and sexuality are often kept apart in visual culture, even though they naturally exist in tandem. I wanted to paint both without shame, treating them as equally beautiful and worthy of being seen.