I was taught from a young age that women were meant to be quiet and pleasant, never loud or angry. When I reached college, I encountered men who took advantage of that mindset and of my naivety. I soon found other women who shared those experiences, and felt a similar sense of frustration towards the narrative expected of women.

As I explored that frustration, I realized that many women were never taught how to express anger, only mild frustration. In this project, I wanted to explore the nature of women’s anger.

For many of us, it starts out timid and fearful, like the hare. That timidity bleeds into a feeling of uncertainty, like the alligator eyeing its attacker. Uncertainty makes way for fury as instincts kick in, just like the wolf lashing out in self-defense. Finally, a sense of calm washes back over, as the snake sheds her skin.

These paintings are a part of a series I completed last year as a URECA creative project grant through my school, MTSU. The project is now a part of my Honors senior thesis exhibition that I am presenting this semester in preparation to graduate!

My project was recently featured in the MTSU research magazine, and you can read all about it here:

MTSU: Women Power Art Project

Thank you for reading.

Click to view images at larger scale.