Art is a very powerful form of communication. It simultaneously asks questions, raises issues and envisages new and exciting ideas. My current practice explores the fashion and beauty industry and negative effects on women’s body image and mental health.

I am intrigued by the inherent illusionary of fashion adverts and magazines, and how it lures viewers into a false sense of unhappiness. When we observe the ‘perfect’ and ‘flawless’ utopian lifestyles portrayed by advertising, convincing us to desire their products, we feel bad about ourselves, because we will never continually ‘meet their standards’. Unsurprisingly, we cannot anyway, because the image we are presented with has been distorted so heavily. Therefore, by using myself as a model, I am humorously suggesting that anybody could become ‘model-standard’ and asking interesting questions regarding power relationships. Currently, I usually start my work by completing a late-night shoot with my camera flash and tripod, or a fashion magazine to make collages that articulate this hypocrisy.

We do not need to accept the forced beauty norms in society. We are constantly being told we are not good enough, but my work suggests that anyone with an alternative message can use the same platform as the advertising industry to suggest body-positive messages.