Sierra Greenslade

Girlhood affects those who have it, had it, and those who want it. But Girlhood is not a singular experience. It is an evolving, complicated space where gender can feel uplifting or confining. I believe that Girlhood is more than a phase of adolescence and a glittery accessory. However, can it break away from our rigid ideas of gender performance? 

Can we do away with the script that most of us perform without a second thought? Are we able to redefine Girlhood? Do we even want to? My work explores the question: Is Girlhood an ongoing experience that allows us to redefine and reconstruct our idea of power and femininity?

While these rituals can be comforting, they can also confine us when we focus on being mirrored and validated by others. This work represents the moments when the individual becomes reduced to nothing more than their reflection.  Walking the line between self-expression and self-surveillance, we often curate a distorted version to be accepted by society. ‘Squelch’  highlights the entrapment of gender and the exhausting performance that comes with it.