For centuries up till today, women from all walks of life would have experienced a form of body dysmorphia. Particularly as we live in a contemporary society where we are constantly engulfed in social media and confronting ‘ideal’ bodies that are portrayed on social media. In this artwork, this ‘ideal’ silhouette of the ‘beautiful’ modern woman is challenged — creating asymmetry in the illusion of a singular larger breast, an overwhelming hunchback, or extra volume around the waist, that disputes against the trend of an ideal ‘hourglass’ figure. The practice of sustainability is also adopted in this work, using natural resources such as butterfly pea to create areas of blue in the garment made of natural fibers.
 

This work presents the artist’s criticism on beauty standards in contemporary society. Growing up, it is observed and apparent that from a young age, the female body is already subjected to constant scrutinisation and criticism, society constantly pointing out ‘flaws’ that should be ‘corrected’, e.g. being on the chubbier side, and thus such seeds of body dysmorphia are planted from a young age. In response to this, the artist re-imagines what is deemed the typically ‘beautiful’ female body, in encouraging love and acceptance of our natural, individually unique bodies. This was expressed through textiles, exploring pleating techniques on cotton fabrics, as well as crocheting with mohair yarn. The form of the pleated fabrics and loops of yarn were also inspired by textures observed from nature’s flora and fauna. Additionally, the artist is also encouraging of the sustainability movement, adopting natural dyeing techniques from natural resources. These characteristics of the garment further contribute to the notion of beauty in naturalness.