There’s an ingrained societal discomfort around body hair, particularly for women. Pretty Pitty confronted these ingrained insecurities and cultural ideologies head-on, questioning why something as natural as growing hair is stigmatized as “unattractive.”

I took a space typically dedicated to ideals of beauty and femininity- an elegant dress shop- and flipped the narrative. In place of polished, idealized mannequins, I adorned them with stitched-together artificial flowers that flowed from their armpits, turning the “taboo” into something ethereal and unapologetically beautiful.

Hanging in the display were paintings I created from selfies sent by people in my life- friends, acquaintances, and collaborators- who proudly showcased their armpits. I transformed them into warrior-like figures, each one embodying defiance, confidence, and a reclamation of self-image.

This series was never just about armpits. It was about the small ways we are conditioned to shrink, to erase, to conform… and the power in choosing not to. The act of raising an arm, revealing something considered “imperfect,” and owning it became an act of resistance. Through these portraits, I celebrated the quiet rebellion of existing in our bodies as they are, without apology.