Be A Lady

“Sheli, be a lady” is a phrase I heard a lot growing up. I never felt like I knew what that meant exactly, but I did feel like I was often doing it wrong. As a girl, dolls became an influential learning tool in deciphering what appropriate femininity entailed. They were coded with messages about motherhood, domesticity, fashion and physical beauty. In “Be A Lady” I use the paper doll as a means to explore the complex process of understanding personal identity within the confines of society’s idea of womanhood. The pieces of my paper doll are symbols of sexuality, vulnerability, confidence, intelligence, physicality and the process of resolving all the facets of one’s self.

All above photos of Be A Lady by Martin Cox Photography.