I chose to sculpt different body figures of women with different body shapes. This process was a lot easier than I expected. I started with a solid for all five sculptures and molded the clay into the height I wanted by compressing my hands on each side. When it comes to the outline to make it look like a body figure, I used various tools, in addition to my hands, to create an obvious waist, chest, and butt area. Depending on what I wanted the body to look like (curvier or skinny), I added more clay to the breast, stomach, and butt areas. When it comes to the color of my pieces, I wanted to show a variety of skin colors, but specifically darker ones. Women with darker skin tones are consistently seen as unattractive, just like women with larger bodies. I wanted to show my appreciation for the diversity in skin tone and body shape throughout our world.
This collection is dedicated to all the women in the world who feel like their bodies aren’t good enough because they’re bigger in certain areas than socially accepted. It’s dedicated to the women who struggle to feel confident as they are now and instead try to “fix” themselves by getting skinnier. There is no such thing as the “perfect body”, in fact, the bodies in my exhibit are all completely natural. Women’s bodies are unique in the way that we can take care of another human being, while also still providing for ourselves. Our bodies are gifts. They are unique and diverse in their own beautiful ways, and should not be sexualized, but celebrated for their strength. Given that this is my first semester ever taking ceramics, I am very proud of my exhibition. I came into this being hesitant because I wasn’t sure I was going to be able to achieve wheel throwing. When I realized we could hand build as well, I was all in. I’ve always admired sculptures and their uniqueness so I challenged myself to create pieces that not only pushed me as an artist but also sent a message. And just like I was challenged, I want to challenge other individuals as well to prevent jumping to criticism the minute they see someone with a larger body. Body size isn’t always indicative of our health, so being “concerned for someone else’s health” can no longer be a justification. This is simply because we as individuals have been conditioned to believe that skinner is better. It’s time to reframe our minds.