RECLAIMED BODIES
A body is more than just flesh. More than skin, curves, and the way light falls on it. Yet, in these old playing cards from the 90s, the body is stripped down to something singular—an object, a product, a fleeting moment of pleasure captured in glossy print. The women in these images were never meant to be seen beyond their function. Their presence reduced to a pose, a look, a promise.
I want to return them to themselves.
By physically altering the cards—scratching, covering, peeling away layers—I strip away the imposed sexuality to uncover something else. A face that was never meant to be seen with curiosity, a body that existed beyond the viewer’s desire. Through destruction, I search for presence. What remains when the surface is disrupted? What happens when we are forced to look past what we were told to see?
This project is about reclaiming identity. About shifting the gaze. About forcing the image to speak in a way it was never allowed to. Because behind every photograph, behind every printed smile, there is always a person.
RECLAIMED BODIES
A body is more than just flesh. More than skin, curves, and the way light falls on it. Yet, in these old playing cards from the 90s, the body is stripped down to something singular—an object, a product, a fleeting moment of pleasure captured in glossy print. The women in these images were never meant to be seen beyond their function. Their presence reduced to a pose, a look, a promise.
I want to return them to themselves.
By physically altering the cards—scratching, covering, peeling away layers—I strip away the imposed sexuality to uncover something else. A face that was never meant to be seen with curiosity, a body that existed beyond the viewer’s desire. Through destruction, I search for presence. What remains when the surface is disrupted? What happens when we are forced to look past what we were told to see?
This project is about reclaiming identity. About shifting the gaze. About forcing the image to speak in a way it was never allowed to. Because behind every photograph, behind every printed smile, there is always a person.