she makes and is made.

This painting was created using only my body — no brushes, no tools, just direct contact between skin and surface.

The assignment was to create a piece based on a phobia. I chose gynophobia: an irrational, intense fear of women.

I wanted to examine my own internalized misogyny and experiment with small ways of stepping more fully into myself. So each day before painting, I spent time journaling and doing yoga. I stopped shaving for the duration of the project. I ate whatever I wanted, whenever I was hungry for it. I let myself take up space — in the classroom and on the canvas.

Over time, the work became less about producing a painting and more about noticing all the ways I’ve been taught to correct, reduce, or hide myself — and choosing (even briefly) not to.