This collection of artworks is a response to the body shaming, which gained traction on social media, and inspired by the book "Hunger" by Roxane Gay, who candidly discusses the challenges faced by overweight women in society based on her personal experiences. My ongoing concern about femininity and the correct definitions of beauty and societal norms pushed me to create a series called " Fat Women are fragile." My primary goal was to portray the resilience of the human spirit, regardless of external appearances or physical attributes.
The experiences shared by the author and my own observations in a society that is progressing but still limping in many aspects compelled me to perhaps illustrate a different narrative of beauty. In this collection, I've depicted women in the nude to fully convey their bodies that have always been concealed by censoring clothing. I aimed to keep the artwork as real as my personal technique allows and avoid the exaggerated beautification that often accompanies discussions of obesity these days.
The juxtaposition of these women's bodies with cardboard emphasizes the visual and thematic paradox between physical weight and fragility of their spirits. The cardboard and boxes, aside from symbolizing the handling of fragile and delicate items, also represent society's attempt to categorize and forcefully fit individuals within predefined frameworks and cultural norms.
These artworks were created using pencils, pens, and watercolors and were later digitally enhanced using Photoshop.