CONSTRAINTS

A full-scale sculpture exploring the pressures placed on women and the struggle to remain true to ourselves.

Constraints represents a woman surrounded by expectations of how she should look, behave and present herself in order to feel beautiful, accepted and loved. From make-up and hair extensions to changing our bodies, the piece questions how easily we can lose parts of ourselves while trying to fit into what society tells us we should be.

But beneath those pressures, her true self is still there.

Her vibrant colours represent her natural beauty refusing to disappear. The spirals represent the obstacles and patterns she encounters along the way, while the flowing lines reflect her personal and sexual journey as she begins to understand, accept and reclaim who she is.

What makes Constraints particularly special to me is that I didn't plan how she would look.

She was my first mannequin sculpture. I had a huge bag of colourful wool and, after struggling to work out how to apply thread to a mannequin, I simply wondered what would happen if I covered one in wool instead.

So I started.

Strand by strand, beginning with her face and working my way down her body, I created her completely by instinct. There was no drawing, no predetermined pattern and no expectation of what she needed to become.

I completely lost myself in the process. I stopped trying to control the outcome and allowed myself to create freely.

And Constraints was born.

There's something quite fitting about that now. A piece about breaking free from expectations was created at a time when I had stopped placing expectations on myself.

For me, she remains a reminder that underneath everything the world tells us we should be, there is still a version of ourselves waiting to be seen.

Year: 2013

Size: 175.26 x 70cm

Medium: Fibre Glass and Synthetic Wool

Technique: Wool Bonding