“Be a lady” is a phrase I often heard growing up.

I never knew what it meant exactly, but I knew it meant I was doing it wrong. For girls, dolls are learning tools in deciphering appropriate femininity. They are coded with messages about motherhood, domesticity, fashion and physical beauty. In “Be A Lady” I use the paper doll to explore the complex process of understanding personal identity within the confines of society’s idea of womanhood. The pieces of my paper doll are symbols of sexuality, vulnerability, confidence, intelligence, physicality and the practice of resolving all the facets of one’s self.

“Be A Lady” is a larger than life interactive paper doll installation. The base doll stands nude and faceless. The interchangeable pieces include faces and accessories that instigate conversations regarding the intersection of femininity, sexuality, race, religion, culture, ability and more. Each piece is hand-painted in watercolor, enhancing the notion of layering that goes into curating one’s sense of identity. There will be 15 to 25 painted pieces. More than half of the paintings are already complete, but I am still expanding on the imagery. Through a magnet system, the pieces can be arranged in any number of ways to facilitate conversation. By asking the viewer to be part of this curation process, I create an opportunity to explore unpredictable narratives.

This exhibition seeks to examine the collective understanding of femininity and power dynamics. In conversation with contemporary feminist empowerment movements such as, “me too,” body positivity and sex positivity.