SLOW BURN

ARTIST STATEMENT:

Fat, big, bumpy, hairy, “fupa,” gut, tummy, stomach, pouch, gut, potbelly, UGLY.

Society teaches us to look elsewhere, outside of our body, for how our body should look and feel. We’re taught that rolls, textures, and larger bodies are ugly, unhealthy, unworthy. Exploring a seemingly controversial body part such as the stomach or abdomen has been rewarding. It has ultimately helped me analyze how loud the notion of being ugly is for someone like me (a plus-size,BIPOC, queer femme) in spite of hearing the opposite.

I am constantly & verbally reaffirmed by my partner, loved ones, and friends, yet I have had a difficult time accepting and loving my body...every body part, including but not limited to my fupa. 

Through the experience of showcasing for UGLY., I’ve learned to address my discomfort and I hope that through this work, the ongoing process resonates with you. The viewer, the artist, the curator, the observer, the human.

I hope that you see that tummies are inherently human, diverse, evolving, cute, squishy, soft, big, bloated, flat, weird, hairy, beautiful, perfectly imperfect, and if that also means ugly, then that’s okay too. Simply being is enough. Let your tummy, fupa, stomach, abdomen, gut be free.