(Miss)Understood

(Miss)Understood reflects my ongoing exploration of female identity and the societal constraints imposed on women. This body of work uses film photography and installation to investigate the tension between public perception and personal truth, privileging the individuality of each subject over her image, physicality, or representation.

The project began with a series of interviews in which I asked women to reflect on their identities, their experiences of womanhood, and the injustices they have encountered. These conversations formed the conceptual foundation of the work. Quotes and excerpts from the interviews appear as the top visual layer, symbolizing the mask or facade that many women feel compelled to wear in order to navigate the world. Beneath this surface lies a deeper, more authentic portrayal: each woman chose how and where she would be photographed and selected the final portrait that represents her.

By incorporating materials such as makeup, photographs, and transparent plastic sheets, the installation plays with the visual language of layering and distortion. Transparency and opacity become metaphors for visibility, identity, and social perception. The result is a multidimensional experience that encourages viewers to move beyond superficial assumptions and confront the complex realities of womanhood.

Though the viewer’s vision may initially be obscured, the work invites an active process of discovery, inviting viewers to peel back the layers to reveal the individual truths hidden beneath the surface.