Swaddled

“Swaddled,” is a self portrait series that explores the relationship I have with my body. I am a transgender woman and have struggled with gender dysphoria and body dismorphia for some time now. Gender dysphoria occurs when someone’s gender identity is not in line with the sex they were assigned at birth. The disconnect between the two can be incredibly jarring for the person experiencing it. Parts of my body feel foreign to me and sometimes they repulse me. This can cause me to dissociate and have panic attacks. 

The triptych depicts my body being wrapped in an attempt to self soothe. My weighted blanket is immensely useful in coping with the panic attacks I have. The blanket offers comfort and also conceals the rest of the body from being perceived. Much like fabric covers the body, negative space adds ambiguity by removing visual information from the viewer. With implied shapes it allows the viewer to interpret and fill in the space with their imagination. The smaller scale is to emulate the constrained yet secure sensation I feel when wrapped up.