Episode 1: Gender

Peek into the first episode of The Exhibit.

The first commission is in the bag! The theme was gender, and I had a lot to say about myself as a child. Thankfully my family gave me the space to explore my sense of fashion freely but I often felt plagued by the gender norms imposed on me by my parents. This challenge forced me to dig deep into the recesses of my memory and allow old emotions to surface.

The painting depicts the sanctuary that was my private space, my childhood bedroom. The place where I felt most like myself. It expresses a child’s freedom to really discover who they are and how they want to exist in this world. The memories I pulled from evoked magic, imagination, relaxation and growth.

I did not expect my painting to be chosen among all of the other fantastic artwork that was created. But hey, a win is a win! Getting this one, helped to silence the imposter syndrome I was feeling. I included a really cute cat in the painting as I had a cat growing up and he was my ride or die. Everyone had a lot to say about the cat. He was also my favorite part of the painting.

48”x 48” oil on canvas

100 limited edition prints of this piece ‘Baby Dreams’ are now exclusively available for purchase exclusively through my website.