My project revolves around my identity as a woman, as a mother, trying to balance my work/school life with my mom life, and the love that I have for my daughters with the love that I need to have for myself in order to be a positive role model in their lives. This painting was done using a selfie that I took while very tired, but also happy to be spending time nursing my daughter who was being particularly cute and silly at the moment.
The fact that my nipple is uncovered is a reflection of the double standard that society has towards human bodies, and how even when female nipples are a source of nutrition for a child they are viewed as a sexual object that should be hidden from view. Even though a woman is legally allowed to breastfeed in public in Massachusetts, women are expected to go out of their way to hide and cover-up so that a passerby doesn’t happen to catch a glimpse of the forbidden
nipple. Even my own family has asked me to leave the room in order to feed my child because there were men present. It seems like the problem is not in the presence of the nipple but rather the fear of the male gaze – instead of expecting them not to look, we require women to hide.
