red flower

This piece was an exploration of the complex emotions and sensations associated with the menstrual cycle. It began with personal notes I took about my own symptoms, which served as the starting point for expressing these internal experiences visually.

The composition has evolved significantly over time. Initially, it was centered around an abstracted shape of a uterus, an obvious symbol that seemed to convey the idea clearly. However, as the work developed, I painted over this shape, reflecting how women are often taught to hide or minimize their pain in society. This concealment, however, only intensifies the internal disruption.

The color choices throughout the piece reflect the duality of emotions many women experience—contradictory, shifting between moments of strength and vulnerability. Through this work, I aim to capture the visceral, often unspoken reality of this experience and bring to light the complexity of feelings that are so often suppressed.