Ladylike: To Be a Woman

‘Ladylike’ follows the journey of a young woman growing up and adapting to fit the stereotypes and gender norms that are expected of women. An ideal drilled into the female mind from early in life, engrained in her, shaping her sense of self.

Exploring themes of equality, sexism and femininity through the form of self-portraiture, the project challenges the ideals of “the perfect woman” and the expectations to tick the boxes of what makes her “attractive” and “desirable” to the world. Her growth as a person is documented as she reaches different stages in life, her freedom becomes unattractive and being conditioned into servitude becomes the reality. Passivity towards life can only go on for so long, until she craves freedom and power.