PLUCK - video installation; leg hair; glass

This is a work that tackles the delicate relationship I have with my body hair. I, like most women, hold a certain amount of shame when it comes to publicly displaying hairy legs, pits or pubic hair. There is a constant battle that takes place within my mind: the shame of being a hairy woman in today's society -vs- the guilt of giving into the conditioning that tells me I'm unsightly. I want to refuse the beauty ideals that I grew up with, I yearn to be comfortable and content with my natural self. Unfortunately, that desire does not always win.

This is a video of me pulling out my leg hair by hand. The collected leg hair was sealed inside precious glass reliquaries and installed in front of the projected footage, symbolising the contradictions that often whirl around my head.